Not at all surprised - in fact, as an oos parent I’d be pretty enraged if calling up a school was all it took to be considered in-state.
@RichInPitt - my husband’s a Stanford EE graduate and he was over the moon when my D chose Purdue. It was a great fit for her too and I honestly feel the tuition is a bargain.
High tech (and other) companies from all over recruit at Purdue; the world of recruiting is not as regional as it used to be. My D is a senior with 3 “dream job” offers all of which are from companies very far away from IN (which is good - she’s really had enough of those winters!!!). We couldn’t be happier.