US Citizen with a degree from another country?

[PRN4953]

I am a US citizen, but I will be graduating in mechanical engineering from a private university in Mexico. How do I go about entering a graduate program in the US from here? I am a passport holder. Should I view myself as an international student instead? 

[TakeruK]

No. The primary challenge for international students is the much higher rate of international tuition. This won't apply to you, unless your future school's state has some special rule that you need to be in the state for a really long time prior to starting school to qualify for domestic tuition (I don't know of any states that do this though).

The secondary challenge is that sometimes international students come from schools less known to the grad program the student is applying to. So, depending on the international reputation of your undergrad school, this may or may not apply to you. However, I'd note that this is a challenge for domestic students too (e.g. if you're from a small state school in the US, your school might not be well known to the grad program either). And, certainly this will not be a problem if you're from a well known international school (e.g. Oxford, Cambridge, etc.). This factor is often cited as an international student challenge since it affects international students more, but it does not affect everyone nor is it unique to international students. 

In any case, I think the primary challenge is the main source of issues an international student may face in terms of admission. The secondary thing is likely much more minor. Also, the other non-admissions related challenges (getting visas, etc.) won't apply to you!