Where would I be considered "in state?"

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amazingme21

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I am applying this upcoming cycle and am in the process of picking schools. Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but I was wondering where I would be considered "in state." I go to school in state X. I have lived in State Y for well over a decade. My dad just started a job in State Z, but my mom and brother are still living in State Y for another year as my brother finishes high school (so we still have a house in State Y). I think my family is paying taxes in both state Y and state Z???? Thanks!
 
If you're of traditional age and unmarried, you are a resident of state Y, no matter where you get your education. Your dad hasn't been in state Z long enough to establish residency for himself (most states require a year of established domicile, for purposes besides education).

If you worked for a year in state x without going to school, you could possibly claim residency there, unless it's Massachusetts, which takes 5 years.

There are some tricky exceptions to the above generaliuzations, but without knowing specific states, it's hard to hit all the possibilities.
 
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If you're of traditional age and unmarried, you are a resident of state Y, no matter where you get your education. Your dad hasn't been in state Z long enough to establish residency for himself (most states require a year of established domicile, for purposes besides education).

If you worked for a year in state x without going to school, you could possibly claim residency there, unless it's Massachusetts, which takes 5 years.

There are some tricky exceptions to the above generaliuzations, but without knowing specific states, it's hard to hit all the possibilities.
There are some states which consider you a resident if you graduated highschool there.
 
Your best bet is to look up the specific rules for each state: X, Y & Z, then adjust accordingly. The most common scenario is, as @Catalystik points out, that you'd be a resident of state Y, but there are exceptions, and some states are much better to 'be from' than others.