<p>hi there! </p>
<p>i started registering for the common app today, and i wasnt sure which address to use. I used to live in the US before, and we still own a home in california. I also have a california id. if i register myinternational address, then colleges will know that i live abroad. however, if i list my home address in the us, i may never find out whether or not i've been admitted into the collleges. what should i do?</p>
<p>First off, you may be able to enter both a mailing address and another address.</p>
<p>Are you and your family CA residents whilst abroad? Paying CA income taxes? If so, great for admissions, if not, then it gets more complicated.</p>
<p>Determination of in state vs out of state applicant status is generally decided by the address on your income tax return, if an independent; and on your parents income tax return if a dependent, NOT upon a second or vacation home address - to prove residency for instate, you usually have to be paying taxes to live in that particular state to qualify; otherwise you are considered out of state for tuition purposes.</p>
<p>They’ll know you live abroad when you submit the International Supplement to the common app. You can’t really hide it.</p>
<p>You CAN be a resident of a state whilst living abroad, but you have to have intentionally remained a resident with all the artifacts of residency- tax return, voter registration, car reg & DL if you have any vehicles active in the US.</p>
<p>Many people living abroad choose NOT to be residents so as to not pay US income taxes in the US on their foreign earnings.</p>
<p>Also, as a citizen you can be NOT in the international pool for admissions and still not pay in state tuition, 2 different categories. However, a US citizen living abroad can add an interesting diversity to the admissions decisions so you may choose to play up what you have learned about the world and how you see the US from a different perspective.</p>