State of Residency HELP!!

[bjh0609]

Hello StudentDocs,

I am an undergrad currently studying in Texas (rising junior). I went to private school in Massachusetts for four years before coming here. I am still under international status, but I will be getting my permanent residency very soon (least before turning my applications in for med school).

My questions are regarding state of residency. Googling around and searching this forum told me that in order to get Texas (or other state's) residency, I need to live here for 12 months. I have found about this a long time ago, until recently when I found out that 12 months do NOT include the time in college. There is no way I can fill that up, unless I apply after I graduate or something.

I really want to go to one of the UTs for medicine (sadly I know I have no shot at Baylor). But without Texas residency it is nearly impossible to get in (which is true for any other state school).

Funny thing I remember is that last year I received some kind of tax refund form for Massachusetts residents (yes, that was mailed to my dorm). So there is a possibility that I am a Massachusetts resident.

To sum up, here are my questions:

1) Is it impossible to get Texas residency without the 12 month requirement?
2) Is there a way to check if I still have Massachusetts residency?
3) Is it possible to be a permanent resident WITHOUT any state residency? This is what scares me the most. If this is true I will have to apply for private institutions only.


I have not taken MCAT yet (studying right now...yeah), but I am likely to apply for MD, OD and PA programs just to be safe.

PS. This is my first post on this forum! and I really apologize for making my first post a bombard of questions.

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[BMEN]

If you did a Mass tax return you are a mass resident.

 

[bjh0609]

If you did a Mass tax return you are a mass resident.

I did not do anything with the form, meaning that I have never done tax return...

 

[docelh]

My initial thought is that your international status will take precedence.

In other words, residency for application purposes apply to citizens & permanent residents.

 

[BMEN]

My initial thought is that your international status will take precedence.

In other words, residency for application purposes apply to citizens & permanent residents.

didn't catch this. this is most likely the case.


just curious though, have you done a tax return for Texas since living here, or have been taken off as a dependent from a parents tax return

 

[whatageek]

I totally sympathize. I'm applying this year, and navigating this state residency mess is a nightmare if your situation falls even slightly outside of the norm. My best advice is to talk to the schools to which you're interested in applying. They are going to be your best source of information... even if they can't give you a definitive answer. Don't listen to what anyone tells you on here, your federal state residency DOES NOT equal your state residency status for medical school purposes. It's not that simple. What's more is that these regulations differ from school to school and, in my experience, the criteria for inclusion/exclusion are very ambiguous. I've already been denied state residency in one state, so it can and will happen if you don't have your facts straight.

Oh, and yes, it is possible to be a resident of no state regardless of being an international or national applicant.

 

[S6MD]

but I am likely to apply for MD, OD and PA programs just to be safe.

I never did understand why ppl do this. If you want to be a doctor, try to be a doctor. If you want to be an optometrist, try to be that.

 

[bjh0609]

didn't catch this. this is most likely the case.


just curious though, have you done a tax return for Texas since living here, or have been taken off as a dependent from a parents tax return

Again I have never done a tax return (in any state), and my parents do not live in the states (they are moving here early next year). There are tax return workshops in my college but I have never done that either.

If my international status take precedence how was I regarded as Mass. resident in first place? I am confused whether internationals can have state residencies or not.

 

[BMEN]

Again I have never done a tax return (in any state), and my parents do not live in the states (they are moving here early next year). There are tax return workshops in my college but I have never done that either.

If my international status take precedence how was I regarded as Mass. resident in first place? I am confused whether internationals can have state residencies or not.

Then the best thing for you to do is to call/visit schools you want to apply to, explain your situation and see what they say. Unfortunately i know that some of the Texas schools are not flexible with international status. But still approach them. It cannot hurt.

Best of luck.

 

[kami333]

Again I have never done a tax return (in any state), and my parents do not live in the states (they are moving here early next year). There are tax return workshops in my college but I have never done that either.

If my international status take precedence how was I regarded as Mass. resident in first place? I am confused whether internationals can have state residencies or not.

Residency for tax purposes =/= residency for admission/tuition

 

[bjh0609]

I never did understand why ppl do this. If you want to be a doctor, try to be a doctor. If you want to be an optometrist, try to be that.

From what I understand, MD and DO ARE doctors; PAs are not but what they do is very similar to doctors.

 

[bjh0609]

Then the best thing for you to do is to call/visit schools you want to apply to, explain your situation and see what they say. Unfortunately i know that some of the Texas schools are not flexible with international status. But still approach them. It cannot hurt.

Best of luck.

Yeah, I think I will have to call the schools to find out. Thanks a bunch!!

 

[bjh0609]

I never did understand why ppl do this. If you want to be a doctor, try to be a doctor. If you want to be an optometrist, try to be that.

ohhhhh my bad I meant DO...what was I thinking

 

[bjh0609]

Residency for tax purposes =/= residency for admission/tuition

...so Mass. residency it is. Do you think I will still retain that residency after four years of college in Texas?

 

[whatageek]

...so Mass. residency it is. Do you think I will still retain that residency after four years of college in Texas?

Here's how it works with the states I've dealt with: You maintain State A residency if you move to State B for purely educational purposes. You maintain State A residency for 12 months after graduation, at which point you forfeit State A residency in favor of State B residency. State B, however, still gets the final say in a very ambiguous/gray area decision as to whether you are a resident of State B for the purposes of medical school tuition.

 

[kami333]

...so Mass. residency it is. Do you think I will still retain that residency after four years of college in Texas?

Not sure if you caught it but that sentence was supposed to mean that just because the state considers you a resident for tax purposes doesn't necessarily mean that the schools will consider you a resident for admissions purposes.

MA has funky residency requirements, it takes 5years for them to consider you a resident for admission/tuition purposes if you didn't go to high school there. Were you at a boarding school? That might change things as well.

Definitely contact the schools, good luck!

 

[bjh0609]

Not sure if you caught it but that sentence was supposed to mean that just because the state considers you a resident for tax purposes doesn't necessarily mean that the schools will consider you a resident for admissions purposes.

MA has funky residency requirements, it takes 5years for them to consider you a resident for admission/tuition purposes if you didn't go to high school there. Were you at a boarding school? That might change things as well.

Definitely contact the schools, good luck!

Ohhh ok, so it still comes down to contacting schools I guess.

5 years? that is crazy...I know for sure Texas only requires a year.

and yes I was in boarding school