Maybe getting a letter from a grad as plastic mentioned..
Otherwise there is nothing you can do but live in the region/state to which you are applying to. That is still probably the best way to gain acceptance to a particular school. Regional/state bias can be outrageously strong for some schools.
Hey OP try posting this on the school-specific thread for NYIT-COM. You can get in touch with a student who is there and they can give you more advice 🙂