Rising undocumented senior in Texas wants to apply for A&M

Applying to College
1

I am a rising senior in Texas. I was brought to Texas directly from China in January 2014 with a travel visa when I was fifteen years old. I had no idea I would become a sophomore in public High School after two days of arrival. Anyhow, I worked so hard and I am sixteen now, will graduate from Texas high school in 2016, so the total amount of time I will be in Texas High school is 2.5 years.

  1. My uncle and aunt adopted me through the legal process, started when I moved here. We went to the (Fort bend) court and the adoption passed on October 2014. The law says I have to wait two years in order to apply for legal residency and social security number. We are confused about how the two years are counted: from the time I entered the United States or the time adoption passed?

Since the total amount of time I will be in high school is less than 3 years, shall I apply as an International student even though I am legally a daughter under two U.S. citizens? Shall I ask A&M at their administration office or just send an email?

  1. Now since my situation is complex I am only aiming for in-state colleges, hopefully major in mechanical, chemical, petroleum engineering or computer science.

Here are my stats:

SAT I（only took it once in May, planning to take one on October)

reading: 590
math: 800
writing: 710

SAT II

math II : 800
physics: 700

all APs:( I had no idea how to choose classes for my junior year so APs are not matching with my goal major)

5s: Psychology, Human Geography, Chinese
4s: Physics, World History
3 : Stats (self-studied)

I am planning to take 6 APs in my senior year, more concentrated on science APs and will self-study more APs.

Class rank about 20%. GPA 4.1 on 5.0 scale.

I got all As on all the classes I took in America. Every class I took back in China is harder than AP class here but they counted them as academic classes, giving me 3s in Chinese and P.E.(I speak Chinese for 15 years and score a 5 in AP without taking a class!!). I took algebra II and Chemistry by Credit By Exams, and earn two 3s in Chemistry ( 4 is the highest we can get). Other classes are all 4s and 5s.

I wish I could get into Unversity of Texas at Austin. How the chances will be given my status?
Will Texas A&M accept me? If they don’t accept me in these majors, will I still be able to go to Texas A&M?

I have been struggling with all these mess alone, and my new parents know little about colleges. My uncle just lost his job, but my grandparents in China are willing to finance me if needed. All I hope now is just to go to college, any college, even if I paid so much more effort than local students. Please help me!!! T. T

2

bump bump bump T.T

3

bump… just emailed UT Austin Administration Office’s Counselor for help T.T

4

??

What?

Are you saying that you were adopted by Americans here in the US? If so, then you became a US citizen immediately at that time…or very soon after.

If the parents who adopted you have Texas residency, then so do you.

Who is telling you differently?

Maybe @twoinanddone can answer. I believe she adopted a child from another country. She would know how long citizenship takes.

5

Thank you so much !!! Yes，I was adopted by American citizens a few months before I reached sixteen, and in Texas laws it seems that my new family have to wait 2 years to get citizenship. We have no idea what status I am nowT.T.

6

Rethought–harsh.

7

Texas law doesn’t determine US citizenship. US law does. I have a child that we adopted from another country and he became a US citizen automatically when the adoption was final. Is it possible that in Texas the adoption is not considered final for two years?

8

The poster did not come into the country on an adoption visa (IR-4), so there was no automatic citizenship. S/he will have to apply for a green card and eventually citizenship. S/he needs to prove that s/he has lived with the petitioners for a minimum of 2 years and that they have had legal custody for that time period. The clock starts once legal custody has been established, not at the point at which the adoption is finalized (which can be substantially later).

OP, you should ask your new parents about the date on which their petition to be your legal guardians was approved. It sounds to me like that would be your starting date, so you would be able to start your application for a green card two years from then. You may want to consider a gap year because the green card process will take a while and you’ll want legal residence for financial aid and other purposes.

http://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/adopt-undocumented-illegal-immigrant-get-green-card.html

9

Thank you so much for your time and research!! I’ll ask them about that date. I think the 2 years end in January 2016, five months before I graduate. I know gap year may be a smart option to reduce the cost of college, but don’t have the work permit. I couldn’t imagine myself just be at home, doing nothing for a year T.T. If I can have green card during the freshmen year in college, would the cost be changed for the rest of the college?

10

Just called Texas A&M adminission office. I will apply as an international student, but since my new parents have worked here for more than one year, I am able to be classified as Texas resident as dependent individual. T.T I was so scared when I post this and now I won’t worry much! Hope this help other people with similar experience!!