Before you get GreenCard, live in that state for given years, and pay tax for several years, you would never be considered as the Resident of that state.
TN, for instance, if you work here full time for a year, pay your income tax, and live here more than 3 years, you will be considered as a resident of TN. I'm not sure whether every school in TN has the same requirement for being a resident, but that's what my school required.
That's right. Generally, if you work full time in a state for more than one year and file your tax return as resident, you are considered as resident in that state even you don't have green card.
As for the original question, you can't claim you are resident of that state since you are in China now. Even you live there and go to school there, you will still be non-resident since you are F-1/J-1 student.