In order to reside and work in the U.S. you require the proper visa status. International students are here pursuant to F-1 visas. As others stated any employment you secure during college will only suffice for spending money. Once you graduate you will be eligible for an F-1 Optional Practical Training EAD card valid for 12 months. You will have to find employment in your field of study. If you complete a STEM degree you will be eligible for a further 24 months of Optional Practical Training. If you wish to remain in the U.S. and remain employed you will need to enter the annual H-1B visa lottery (for the current year less than 20% of entries were selected–this is a random lottery) and if successful you can remain in the U.S. There are caveats though: you need to find a U.S. employer to sponsor you for an H-1B visa AND the offered role must be considered a “specialty occupation” by the USCIS (think Interior Designer, Software Engineer, Accountant, etc. not English Teacher, Human Resources Generalist, Payroll Specialist, etc.) and the U.S. employer must pay prevailing wage. I think you should totally apply to a top U.S. university but be aware of what lies ahead. Wishing you the best of luck.
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