What do I need to do to prove instate residency to adcoms?

[NonTradMed]

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Hi,

This is specifically targeted at Indiana residents.

I just recently moved back to Indianapolis last November to retake the mcat and do some post-bacc work. I choose this city because my parents are here. However, I am no longer a resident of this state. I am worried the IU Medical School will not consider me for an in state for medical school admissions since I will not have been in the state for a full year until this coming November, which I consider pretty late to apply for medical school.

I am wondering for those that had declared their home state as Indiana and applied to IU, what did you have to do to prove your instate residency to the school? The only thing I have to prove my instate status is my voter registration, drivers license, both of which acquired recently, as well as a change of address to Indiana last November, but that is about it. I am only taking classes now at the local state school, and will not be working until summer rolls around (and application cycle begins again). I'm worried I'll be screwed over by state schools that will stipulate I have to have lived for a full year in their state in order to be considered for instate admissions and with living in one state for the past two years, and now moving to Indy, I'm afraid I have blown my chances at declaring myself a resident at ANY state medical school.

For the Indiana residents, can you please clarify what you had to do to prove your instate status to med schools?

Thanks! 🙂

 

[pakidoc]

i moved to indiana to go to school. im still out of state. its just too hard to become a state resident here... indiana has weird laws regarding this.
anyway, i had my interview at IU, as an out-of-state student... hope i get in!

on the bright side... they say if u have "strong ties to the state of indiana" they will give u special consideration. you have that, since u live here now. so... dont lose hope!

 

[virilep]

all u gotta do it put it on ur AMCAS. not many state schools have strict policies on that. gotta have an address and if they have some other policy, check into the adcom and give em a ring. i'm sure they'll tell ya.

 

[YzIa]

all u gotta do it put it on ur AMCAS. not many state schools have strict policies on that. gotta have an address and if they have some other policy, check into the adcom and give em a ring. i'm sure they'll tell ya.

This is not accurate. For most states to establish residency you have to reside in the state (proof of this being a fulltime job, voting, a driver's license, register your car, etc) for 1 year prior to matriculation and not attend school during that year. THe idea is that you have to have lived in the state for at least a year without education being the reason for living there. Some states require a longer stay prior to becoming a resident and some require less, but by in large, this is average from my experience.

You most likely should contact either the admissions/registrar's office at IU or contact the state's higher education department to find out what is required within Indiana. Some states also consider you a resident for educational purposes if you graduated highschool in the state and your parents still reside within the state, but thats not common.

Assumming Indiana is a typical state in these regards, if you did loose your residency, you will probably not be able to regain for the application cycle. Look into the state that you moved too, you may be able to apply within that state as a resident.

EDIT: All of the state schools I applied to have a form to be filled out to verify residency if claiming instate. So you can't get around it.

 

[YzIa]

And you don't have to "prove" it to the adcoms, you need to do it through the university, though the admissions office may be able to point you in the right direction of who to contact or of what is required.

 

[NonTradMed]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm called the school about this and they've just given me the run around. I was told since I have parents here, and that is one of the reasons I moved back to indy, they would probably waive the 'have to be here for a year that isn't for fulltime school' thing. So I just need to show proof that I have been here a year, which would mean I have to wait until November to be considered instate at the earliest.

Certainly, by the time I matriculate I will be an instate resident but my problem is, I don't want to be considered an out of stater for admissions.

Can anyone (Indiana or otherwise) tell me what type of things they are looking for to be considered instate on those forms they send you? I guess I will be looking into declaring myself instate in the state I moved from. Who would have thought this residency thing would be so complex?! 😕