<p>Hi. I'm considering about applying to Stanford and some other colleges in the US that meet full financial need.
I have lived in the states for only a year, and I don't speak English fluently, so I want them to consider my SAT score. But because I want to get financial aid, I thought I should apply as US citizen. I'm graduating high school in Japan, so I live in Japan with my mother currently. Should I change my permanent residency to US where my father lives for financial aid?
Thank you</p>
<p>The question is “Are you a US citizen?” or “Do you currently have US Permanent resident status?”</p>
<p>If the answer is no to both, then know it takes time to achieve US Perm Resident status. It’s not as if you can snap your fingers and receive it. Frankly, it’s a talk you need to have with your father – what is HIS immigration status in the USA?</p>
<p>If you are a US citizen, you apply as a citizen. Ask each of the colleges/universities what they want you to do about your foreign school records. Their policies might vary.</p>
<p>If you are a Legal Permanent Resident (green card status), you are treated as a citizen.</p>
<p>If your green card is still pending, you might want to wait until you have it. Send a PM to b@r!um about that question.</p>
<p>If you won’t have a green card, find out about the visa status (if any) you are entitled to due to your father’s status. Some can be more advantageous than the usual F-1 student visa.</p>
<p>Thank you for replies! I have US citizenship since my dad is American. I have Japanese one too. I think I’m supposed to apply as a citizen, but I thought it would increase my chance to get in if i apply as international because of my SAT scores…</p>
<p>You can’t apply as a true international. You are a US citizen who has been educated outside the US, and who has not studied in schools where English is the language of instruction. This puts you into a different category. At many places your school records and exam scores will be evaluated by someone who normally evaluates applications from regular Japanese students. </p>
<p>I think I might have the username of another US-Japanese dual citizen in my files. If I find it, I will send it to you.</p>
<p>Have your dad find out about in-state residence status in the state where he lives. You might be able to attend a public college or university in that state for the resident costs.</p>
<p>While your dad is a US citizen, make sure you have documentation. You might be required to apply for it – if you weren’t born in the US, it’s not automatic. At least it’s not for children of Canadians born outside of Canada. I suspect US has same rules.</p>
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<p>Those are two separate issues, and you need to decide how you want to apply. “meet full financial need” may not apply to international students, as there is a lot of Federal Aid that would be available if you are a US Citizen/Permanent Resident.</p>
<p>So, you have to decide if it is more important to have a better chance at getting in, or better financial aid if you are admitted.</p>
<p>Thank you for all you guys! Yeah, I know I have US citizenship because I have US passport. </p>
<p>So do you know if Stanford and ivy schools would consider my application separately from regular Americans’ applications? I heard there are some schools that have full need financial aid for International applicants too, but I’m not sure which schools give full financial to how many less International students than to Americans. </p>
<p>My dad is Massachusetts resident, so I can apply to Umass as in-state, but cannot apply to financial aid for the first year. (I asked this directly to college)</p>
<p>Is there any way I can appeal to admission officers that English is not my native, while applying as US citizen??</p>
<p>“So do you know if Stanford and ivy schools would consider my application separately from regular Americans’ applications?” Why should they? You’re fine. But Stanford and Ivies give FinAid based on your demonstrated need.</p>
<p>Your lack of English proficiency will likely show itself in your SAT/ACT – and it can be a potential fatal flaw in any application to selective schools like Ivy + Stanford. What is to be appealed? They’ll see you lived in Japan and not the USA. But they’ll still expect a level of excellence that they can’t overlook.</p>
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<p>Put it in the Additional Information section - That you grew up abroad and English is not your first language. It opens up a can of worms, but may help in the review process (treat you more like an international student). The can of worms is that you may have to prove English proficiency (TOEFL) like other international students.</p>
<p>lelelenka,</p>
<p>I would advise you to take the TOEFL. The colleges and universities that you apply to will almost certainly require that you take it since you have been educated primarily in Japanese. They will use the score on that exam to help evaluate your SAT or ACT scores. The TOEFL iBT features samples of classroom and office situations that you are likely to encounter in college in the US. Even if you find that you won’t need to take the exam, reviewing the vocabulary featured in the prep material will be helpful for you.</p>
<p>One good source of information for your college application process is the local office of EducationUSA. They also are on Facebook. Follow the links at <a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Japan#.UHbDZsXA_Uc[/url]”>http://www.educationusa.info/Japan#.UHbDZsXA_Uc</a> to find the advising center closest to where you live, and make an appointment with the counselors. If none of them have worked with a US citizen recently, you can bet that they have colleagues in other offices who have. This is a not-for-profit organization supported in part by those US federal income taxes your dad pays. Any fees that are charged for their services will be minimal. I used to work with their office in Caracas back in the last century. If the people in Japan are as good as my old colleagues were, you will be in excellent hands.</p>
<p>There are quite a few US citizens abroad who participate here at CC. Look up asiantiger who is also in Japan and is applying for next fall. You could be application-buddies! Another person worth reading is nocensure who was educated in India, applied to some of the places on your list, and is still quite active posting primarily in the India sub-forum of the International Students Forum. </p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>