<p>I just realised that i'm able to get a dual-citizenship, making me an American citizen!! (due to having american family)
so if i was applying to colleges (Ivy leagues + NYU) as an international student, could i use my american passport and apply to increase my chances?
I'm not sure about this works but will i be able to apply as both an international student and domestic/American student?</p>
<p>Oh how amazing it would be to be able to raise my chances of getting in!</p>
<p>Yes, you can apply as an “international domestic” student if you are a US citizen abroad. This will definitely give you an edge up against other international students - for one, you are considered domestic for financial aid - which means need blind for all of the Ivies at least.</p>
<p>You will be a domestic applicant (who happens to apply from abroad). Make sure you read the admission information for international applicants though because there might be extra requirements for students living abroad, regardless of citizenship status (e.g. an international supplement to the school report).</p>
<p>Admissions chances would be definitely increased. Don’t be stupid about this one. If you are eligible to carry a US passport, do the paperwork and get yourself one.</p>
<p>I doubt anyone here is able to assess your chances (although many of us, including myself, occasionally like to pretend that we are ;)). </p>
<p>We can tell you the following: (here “domestic” refers to US citizens, permanent residents and US nationals, regardless of place of residency, and “international” to everyone else)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Financial aid for international applicants is very limited. Having a US passport means that you won’t need to compete for these limited resources.</p></li>
<li><p>The international admission rate for international students at the top colleges is significantly lower than the domestic admission rate. For example, at NYU it’s 25% vs 40%, at MIT 4% vs 12%.</p></li>
<li><p>Anecdotally, it seems that the standards for international applicants from abroad are set higher than the standards for domestic applicants living in the US. (For example, a distinction on the state level makes an American applicant competitive for Harvard & Co, while all the true international students I know at the elite colleges have earned some sort of national or international recognition.) However, I cannot say anything about American citizens living abroad because I don’t know enough students in this group to make a statistically significant assessment.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Financially you have an advantage over international students without an American passport because you have more financial aid resources available to you. That’s only helpful if you have financial need though.</p>
<p>However, we do not know if your American passport would give you an advantage academically over the average international applicant. Since you grew up overseas, you might be held to the same standards as other applicants from your country. If someone has “insider” information on this topic, I would be happy to hear it!</p>
<p>I’m in a similar situation, littleRain.
Except I have to wait to get an American passport.
I’m a Chilean citizen and a Canadian permanent resident.
Can someone explain “international domestic” ? I don’t know what you mean by this.</p>
<p>Barium! That was so very helpful~
I am so happy now knowing this, hopefully all can be approved for my passport as apparently until i turn 18 getting my American Citizenship is extremely easy and can be done in one day!</p>
<p>Is it really a 40% admission rate of NYU students though? I thought that it was around 25 for domestic and even lower for international? wow… i may have a shot (dream may come true <em>cries</em>).</p>
<p>Does your home country recognize dual citizenships? Mine doesn’t. If I were to apply for American citizenship, I would lose my German citizenship in the same instant. Looks like I will stay a permanent resident for a while…</p>
<p>Yep, if i do this before i turn 18 i have dual citizenship, not sure what happens after…
Oh really? That’s so weird… But annoying, unless you are already in a USA college and not affected by it? Then it’s fine.</p>
<p>yes, you need to explain why you need an American citizenship and why you still want to keep your German citizenship. However, I’m sure you can come up with some good ones for both. I was able to apply it at the German embassy but as far as I know, you can fill out the form and they will give you a call for a short chat to see whether you are able to speak German.</p>
<p>I am not actually eligible (yet) to apply for American citizenship, but I imagine I would have a really hard time justifying why I need the citizenship. Permanent residents really don’t face too many disadvantages compared to citizens.</p>
<p>yes you do … permanent residents can’t apply for government jobs or those that require security clearance (granted it’s near impossible to get security clarance with dual citizenship anyway), many scholarship are for US citizens only, I guess some people want to be able to vote, and for me, the biggest disadvantage is that you can’t leave US soil for an extended time.</p>
<p>My explaination was simply scholarship … I’m planning to go to grad school and wouldn’t be able to afford the full tuition. Many of the scholarships & fellowships I’m looking for require US citizenship (which is very true). I’ve also mentioned that I’m very interested in joining PeaceCorps (PeaceCorps is good but never ever mention the US army lol). </p>
<p>I think they have a list of reasons they would accept on the website.</p>
<p>Be very careful about getting an American passport.</p>
<p>The US is one of the only countries in the world that taxes its citizens on their worldwide income. If you get an US passport you will have to file American tax returns for the rest of your life and no matter where in the world you live.</p>
<p>You will also have to pay American tax, on top of the taxes in your other country. Yes, the first $90k (?) of earned income is excluded, but if you earn more than that you will be paying taxes to two countries. Also no share dividend income etc is excluded.</p>
<p>American citizenship comes with several disadvantages: I know many permanent residents in the US who have decided to keep a green card forever, and not become US citizens, for just this reason.</p>
<p>It might be worth it to you, but think carefully.</p>
<p>Thanks, but could you clarify how exactly PR status is more advantageous than citizenship in that case?</p>
<ul>
<li>PRs have to file those same income taxes, regardless of where in the world their income was earned.</li>
<li>If I was sure that I did not want to live in the US anymore ever again, I could renounce the citizenship (provided I somehow manage to keep dual citizenship). Otherwise it might be worth paying US taxes to keep that US passport.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you decide you want to leave the US, and you are a US citizen, you still have to pay the taxes forever. (OR pay a hefty exit fee when you renounce).</p>
<p>Permanent Residents can just leave and forget about it.</p>
<p>Permanent residents who abandon their status after 8+ years of physical presence in the US are subject to the new exit tax as well! And permanent residents cannot leave the country for a few years and then decide to come back.</p>
<p>Dual citizenship seems more advantageous than long-term PR status.</p>
… permanent residents can’t apply for government jobs or those that require security clearance (granted it’s near impossible to get security clarance with dual citizenship anyway), many scholarship are for US citizens only, I guess some people want to be able to vote, and for me, the biggest disadvantage is that you can’t leave US soil for an extended time.</p>