Have no ties with California but wanted to do WC banking - How to justify my interest and connection?

I'm an international student currently studying at a target school. Most of our alumni are in NY with limited presence at LA/SF/Texas - those who do are actually from there.

In this case, how can I justify my interest and connection with the West Coast, especially when I'm competing with students from UCLA/Berkeley/USC/CMC/Pomona or someone from there

Or are there any tips for me to be competitive in this case?

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