“I have at least 2 friends who housed high school students for part of their senior years so that they would not need to move”
We housed two exchange students, which is not quite the same thing but I suppose isn’t all that different. It was a great experience, I am really glad that we did it, and I am pretty sure that my daughter is still in touch with both students. Both were arranged through my daughter’s high school.
IL and WA both have very good in-state public universities. I am concerned about whether you can obtain or retain in-state status for either of them. You probably need to figure this out as a very high priority.
I understand why your parents took a job opportunity when it was available instead of waiting until you finished HS. Since you have so little time remaining in your HS career it makes so much sense to figure out staying in your current HS and town. You are old enough to live away from your parents- you would do so as a HS exchange student. Good to hear a meeting with your GC is happening this week. It certainly seems the easiest to finish HS where you know the curriculum, people/how things are done… Likely less stress than everything new with your parents.
Just to clear something up: I am not doing the research right now, but it seems completely UN-likely to me that you would qualify for residency in neither state, and LIKELY that you could qualify in both states if you stay in Washington and finish high school there. Most states have some set of rules to let a child who was a long-time state resident and who finished high school in that state retain residency even if his parents move. (A few states don’t, though.) For some of those states, however, it would be critical that you not do things to establish your residency in Illinois (like registering to vote there, or changing your driver’s license), in addition to finishing high school in your original state. Meanwhile, it looks like Illinois will give you residency status in fall 2018 if your parents moved there other than for purposes of your education, which is clearly what is happening. But you are very late for applying to college there, obviously.