<p>I'm a US resident (though I am eligible to become a citizen) and I don't really want to give up my foreign citizenship for sentimental and practical travel reasons. However, I have ivy/top tier aspirations and I would be willing to go through the naturalization process if being a National Merit Semi-Finalist/Finalist would help my college admissions chances. Getting any scholarship money from the competition is not a priority to me; I'm really more interested in the title, as unflattering as that sounds haha :P</p>
<p>I will be taking the PSAT in the fall as a junior. Any advice/insight would be appreciated :)</p>
<p>Do as well as you can and STUDY for the PSAT, but it doesn’t matter nearly as much as the real SAT. I jumped from a 213 PSAT to a 2330 SAT, and I wont get NMSF (in my state), but it wont affect me. In the end, if you CAN get NMSF or F, go for it.</p>
<p>NMSF is useful depending on what type of school you’re looking at. If it’s a USNWR top 30-40, then it’s useless. However, many schools below that offer good scholarship $$ for NMSF.</p>
<p>Kumquat, from what I’ve heard, you’re eligible as a US resident only if you agree to become a citizen at the earliest possible time–which for me is now. But thanks for the second opinions guys :)</p>