New York Residency

[aedelste]

It was mentioned in another thread that gaining in-state residency was really helpful when applying to schools in New York City. Other than SUNY Downstate, which schools give preference to in-state applicants?

I'm currently a Connecticut resident, but I'm planning to spend a year off working as a lab tech in Manhattan. Has anyone gone through the process of declaring state residency? I heard it involves having a bill sent to your address, which can then be brought to the DMV and given as proof for a driver's liscense. Clearly, I need to do some research, but I'd appreciate any experiences people might have.

Thanks!

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[Mah]

Not for medical school but I switched mine from NJ to NY.

For you, it would help at all the SUNY schools, stony brook, buffalo, upstate and downstate.. plus, I believe Albert Einstein and NYMC take a third of their class from residents. Check MSAR to be sure of the numbers though.

 

[epigastric]

It was mentioned in another thread that gaining in-state residency was really helpful when applying to schools in New York City. Other than SUNY Downstate, which schools give preference to in-state applicants?

I'm currently a Connecticut resident, but I'm planning to spend a year off working as a lab tech in Manhattan. Has anyone gone through the process of declaring state residency? I heard it involves having a bill sent to your address, which can then be brought to the DMV and given as proof for a driver's liscense. Clearly, I need to do some research, but I'd appreciate any experiences people might have.

Thanks!

I'm in the middle of a year working in NYC in a lab. For the purpose of SUNY admissions, you can apply for in-state consideration as long as you'll be a resident by matriculation into your medical school class. That means that if classes start in August, you need to have proof you've been living in NY for non-educational (ie, full-time student) purposes beginning the previous August. All you do is put "NY" on the AMCAS. Since none of the private schools require proof of NY residency for tuition purposes, that's the only group you need to worry about.

The information about SUNY admissions and the AMCAS came directly from calling the admissions office at Stony Brook and Downstate. They're happy to answer your questions when it's slower in the summer.

Proof of residency is pretty easy. They're looking for tax forms from that year proving you're filing independently from your parents, a lease or utility bill in your name dating back a year, and a NY state driver's license, which you're supposed to get after 90 days residency but can really walk in anytime and get. That's a list you can get off any SUNY medical school website and won't have to produce unless you actually get in.

 

[deleted77919]

As far as getting a driver's license I got a NY license a few months ago . . . I don't think they required any proof of my current address (I had my lease for my med school dorm . . . but don't think I had to show it to anyone). What I did need was my old VA drivers license, my passport, and social security card. They require a lot of ID now. And then it took them 2 weeks to get me the new license, so every time I went out I had to use my passport . . . I felt a little silly.

And since the NY licenses are "bendy" when I go back to VA it gets a lot of scrutiny.

 

[epigastric]

As far as getting a driver's license I got a NY license a few months ago . . . I don't think they required any proof of my current address (I had my lease for my med school dorm . . . but don't think I had to show it to anyone). What I did need was my old VA drivers license, my passport, and social security card. They require a lot of ID now. And then it took them 2 weeks to get me the new license, so every time I went out I had to use my passport . . . I felt a little silly.

And since the NY licenses are "bendy" when I go back to VA it gets a lot of scrutiny.

Try changing your name and trading in out-of-state, simultaneously. I had to bring in my old license, my social security card, my passport, my work photo ID, a major credit card, my health insurance card and a utility bill. Otherwise, tough luck. If they'd decided they didn't like one of those, I would have had to join the military or apply for food stamps to get that last point of identification.

I'm only bitter because the US passport agency, arguably more important, only needs to see my new social security card.

But you're right, they have a thousand identification hoops, but don't ask for proof of NY address (except to mail the license to).