What determines whether you are 'international'?

b_r_um
Fri, 30 May 2014 21:05:02 +0000

For statistical reporting purposes, an international applicant is anyone who is not a US citizen or permanent resident, regardless of where they live. The same is true for financial aid purposes.

For academic purposes, an international applicant is one who was educated outside of the US.

For tuition purposes at public universities, international students whose visa status allows them to establish a legal domicile (e.g. H-1B dependents) are treated differently from international students who cannot establish a legal domicile in the US (e.g. F-1 students). The former group may qualify for in-state tuition status if they meet the residency requirements, while the latter are never considered in-state students.



Also, would it make it easier to get in if you lived in some sort of catchment area so if my parents move to NJ would it increase my chances of being admitted into Princeton than if the moved to, let’s say CA?

No, that shouldn’t make a difference. While private universities are open about the fact that they might give preferential treatment to applicants from the local community, they are also quite clear that a “local applicant” is one who has lived there for a substantial period of time. Moving there during your senior year of high school won’t make a difference (neither would renting a mail box near Stanford to apply with a local mailing address…).

In summary, I’d have to say that you are quite squarely an international applicant in every sense of the word. You would be in the US on a temporary visa and you have completed most of your education abroad as well.