I came to NY on F1 in Aug 2005. I did a summer internship in 2006 in NJ and I also lived in NJ for those 2.5 months. Went back to school in NY and graduated in Dec 06. My OPT started 1/1/2007.

1. Was my status Resident Alien or Non-Resident Alien for 2006?
2. Can I use the tuition I paid in 2006 as a deduction?

You are a non-resident alien for 2006, so you CANNOT claim the tuition as a deduction.