Am I in the int'l pile?

As the title suggests, will I be grouped into the international-student pile with all the kids from all over the world during the admission process even I’m currently studying in the U.S.? Or will I be viewed as a student at my current school with my classmates?

My school is a small private Episcopal school, not a top-university feeder at all. But I REALLY want to get into one of the top engineering schools. (Otherwise, why would I waste my family’s money studying in the U.S while I can do the same in my mother country?)

Your citizenship status is what matters, not where you are studying. The basic rule is that if you are a US citizen or green card holder, you go in the domestic pile. Otherwise you are international.

What state is your HS in? It’s a real long shot, but try googling that state’s residency criteria to see whether graduating from a HS in the state makes u eligible for instate tuition.

It’s more complicated than “domestic” or “international”. Your application will probably be read by the admissions officer assigned to the region your high school is located in, and your academic performance will be compared to your American classmates. You won’t need to complete the CommonApp “International Supplement to the Secondary School Report” because you were educated in the US, and there’s a good chance that you won’t need TOEFL scores for admission either. (Succeeding at an American high school is proof enough that you know English.)

On the other hand, you are squarely international for financial and legal purposes. You won’t be eligible for financial aid from federal or state sources, and you may not qualify for college-sponsored scholarships for domestic applicants. If you attend college on an F-1 visa, you will not qualify for in-state tuition (unless you happen to obtain a merit scholarship that bridges the gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition.) You will also need to prove that you can afford to pay for all 4 years of your college education in order to get your visa. (Unlike your classmates, who can figure out their finances one semester at a time.) You will be listed as an “international student” rather than a ‘white’ or ‘Asian’ or ‘African-American’ students in official college demographics.

@b@r!um
Would colleges consider the fact that I’m not a green-card holder so that I may not be eligible for academic competitions such as USAMO when comparing me with my classmates? In addition, if my school is not a top-college feeder, how in depth will colleges consider me as an individual (than, say, a student from such such school where I’m more identified with the school itself due to its poor academic environment)?

We wouldn’t know if a specific admissions officer has these limitations in mind while reading your application. A couple of thoughts about the international science olympiads:

  • The USAMO is a selection process for the IMO. You are excluded because you cannot represent the US at the IMO. However, you are eligible to represent your country of citizenship. If you want to participate in the IMO, find out how to participate in that country's selection process.
  • If you would have qualified for the USAMO but couldn't participate because of your immigration status, you can note that in your application. (If you happen to get a letter of recommendation from your math teacher, he can state that too.)
  • There are several high-profile privately-sponsored science competitions that are open to all students of US high schools, regardless of immigration status (like the Intel and Siemens competitions). If you happen to be enrolled at a community college or university, you can also sign up to the take Putnam exam (a college-level math competition).