Does this mean your family could potentially be able to pay $90,000 a year or more for college if you don’t qualify for need based aid at some top college?
At some point, do a chance me thread with your stats, and college requirements including locations, majors, and budget. Folks will better be able to help,you with complete information.
Your problem isn’t just getting into college when you’re in the international pool, it’s also affording college (and these 2 are tied because they’re linked to your not having access to federal aid thus depending solely on institutional aid.)
Based on what I know and after checking the above policy, I think you would qualify for instate tuition in PA. Do check with an immigration lawyer or if necessary with staff at a law clinic
If that’s the case, you’re lucky because you will have instate rates at Penn State, Pitt, Temple, and any Passhe school (West Chester etc.) and will perhaps qualify for merit aid – which goes much further if the amount is lower to start with; you must check whether you’re eligible for PHEAA grants.
Note that at Pitt very high test scores are necessary for merit; Penn State is very stingy, you may only get 5k if you get into Schreyer (rigor+ essays).
But if Pitt and PSU are affordable, you’ve got 2 excellent options.
You need to know how much your parents can afford because you cannot be awarded federal aid (ie., loans, Pell) - your budget may be as much as 10-12k less than you thought if you thought you’d have federal aid.
For most private universities your application will be compared to the pool from your HS but for FA it’ll fall into the International pool which is much more difficult than the usual pool.
If I’m not mistaken, the exceptions are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, and Amherst (where all applicants are treated the same regardless of nationality or visa status). It doesn’t mean others are off limits but it makes them even more difficult.
PA is full of very good private colleges - Dickinson, Bucknell, Gettysburg, Muhlenberg, Haverford, Lafayette…- that may recognize your school but you would need to start showing interest right now. Join their mailing list and when they send an email, open it and click on any link that looks interesting; book a tour, go&visit officially (v. Parents just driving you around).
In any case, you need to find a few colleges you are sure to get into, can afford, and like well enough. Those 2-3 are the most important ones on your list. 
These are the colleges that are both need blind for admissions and meet full need for all accepted international students:
Princeton
Amherst
Harvard
Bowdoin
MIT
Brown
Yale
Dartmouth (starting in 2025)
This doesn’t mean you won’t get aid at some other colleges. But many will be need aware (meaning they can consider your need when considering your application for admission) OR don’t guarantee to meet full need for all accepted students OR only have limited aid for international students.
You will need to check each college financial aid website for their policies on awarding all kinds of aid to international students.
Some do not offer any aid at all of any kind to international students.
@Cooked1, are you a junior looking to apply this fall?
If so, here are my suggestions:
speak to your parents and have them run the net price calculators on some of these schools. That’ll tell you if you are aid-eligible.
Next, have your parents give you a firm budget ($XX per year).
Create a chance-me post like thumper suggested. We can help with specific schools suggestions based on the information you provide.
In the meantime, keep your grades up, take the most rigorous courses you can, and continue to pursue (and excel in) activities you are passionate about.
Hello, Thanks for the advice.
I emailed upenn admissions a bit back about my situation and they responded and assured that I would be considered as domestic. Is this true?
What exactly did you tell UPenn?
Did you say “I’m a U.S. high school graduate, but I’m not a citizen or permanent resident. How will my application be read?”
If you didn’t tell them that you are not a citizen or permanent resident, you might have gotten inaccurate information.
I told them that I live in Pennsylvania but am not permanent resident and will not become one in time
The answer from one college may differ from the answer from another college.
That’s good.
Write to ALL colleges on your list.
Include Penn State, Pitt, Temple, West Chester, and whatever Passhe school is near you even if you don’t see yourself attending because you MUST have safeties that will treat you as “instate” v. International to ensure you have an affordable college to go to.
Make sure to say
Email every possible university on your list because their reply may vary. Do NOT assume that because Temple said sth, it’ll be the same at Pitt and PSU. And of course Penn’s answer is unrelated to what other private universities may reply.
If indeed Penn will consider you domestic for both admission and FA, it may be worth it to visit to be sure it’s a good fit and then apply ED - unless other private universities you like better have the same policy, as confirmed by an email they sent you (which you must keep).
And since your odds are 1 in 20, regardless of status, apply to all 3 state related universities as soon as the app opens as well as their Honors colleges. You want to have options since your situation is likely to be more complicated than for a permanent resident.
They might have assumed you were DACA…and you are not.
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