Alternate Entry FAQ
Answers for students, parents and counselors on NMSC's Alternate Entry route to the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Should I skip the PSAT and just use Alternate Entry with an SAT score?
No. The PSAT/NMSQT is the only automatic entry point to National Merit. Alternate Entry is for students who could not take it: NMSC asks why you missed the test, your principal or counselor must sign the application, and approval is not guaranteed. You are also held to exactly the same Selection Index cutoff. Deliberately avoiding the PSAT asks your school to vouch for a circumstance that did not occur. If you can take the PSAT/NMSQT, take it.
What exactly does NMSC say about who qualifies?
NMSC describes Alternate Entry as being for a student who misses the PSAT/NMSQT because of illness, an emergency, or other extenuating circumstance (but meets all other requirements for program participation)
, and for a student whose score cannot be considered for entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program due to a testing irregularity or score cancellation.
Those two sentences are the whole eligibility test; if your situation does not fit one of them, Alternate Entry is not available.
Does my school have to be involved?
Yes. A parent or student can send the initial request to NMSC, but the Alternate Entry application itself must be signed by your high school principal or counselor, and the school confirms your enrollment and grade. Tell your counselor as soon as you know you missed the test.
I am homeschooled and no school will let me take the PSAT/NMSQT. Can I use Alternate Entry?
Yes. NMSC expects you to try to test at a local school first, but if no school will seat you, Alternate Entry with an SAT score is the accepted route. Write by April 1 of junior year and explain that no administration was available.
I took the PSAT/NMSQT and did badly. Can I use Alternate Entry instead?
No. Alternate Entry is only for students who did not take the PSAT/NMSQT; you must not have taken the test. If your administration was disrupted, the only remedy is to ask NMSC within five days of the test date to remove your score from consideration.
My school did not offer the PSAT/NMSQT this year. What do I do?
Ask nearby schools during the October testing window first; the Student Guide permits testing at another school. If none will take you, request Alternate Entry by April 1.
Can I use the ACT?
No. Only the SAT is accepted for Alternate Entry. (ACT scores can later serve as the confirming score for Semifinalists.)
Do PSAT 10, PSAT 8/9 or a sophomore-year PSAT/NMSQT count?
No. Only the October PSAT/NMSQT of junior year, or an Alternate Entry SAT, enters you in the competition. Taking the test as a sophomore, or the PSAT 10, neither enters you nor affects your eligibility for Alternate Entry as a junior.
Which SAT dates are accepted?
NMSC lists them on the Alternate Entry application. In practice: administrations from the August before junior year through the June test of junior year. Test early enough that scores reach NMSC well before the fall selection.
How do I send scores to NMSC?
Through College Board's score-sending service to recipient code 0085. NMSC must receive an official report.
Does NMSC superscore or take my highest section scores across dates?
No. Best single sitting.
Is the Alternate Entry Selection Index calculated differently?
Same formula, with one rule: each SAT section is capped at 760 before doubling Reading & Writing and adding Math, then dividing by 10. An 800 counts as 760.
Are Alternate Entry students held to a different cutoff?
No. Same state cutoff as PSAT takers (208–223 for the Class of 2027), same Commended cutoff (208).
I am a junior at a boarding school in another state. Which cutoff applies?
The highest cutoff among the states in your school's NMSC region, not your home state.
What happens after I qualify as a Semifinalist?
The same Finalist application as everyone else, due in early October of senior year: essay, transcript, activities, and a principal's endorsement. Your SAT already meets the confirming-score requirement, so that step is done.
Where can I check my request or ask NMSC a question?
Email ae@nmerit.net or call (847) 866-5100. NMSC does not post Alternate Entry status online.
Preparing for National Merit
Reaching Semifinalist takes real preparation whether you test on the PSAT/NMSQT or through Alternate Entry. Alternate Entry students have one advantage: you choose the SAT date and can test more than once. Six programs families ask about, in alphabetical order, with an overall rating out of 10 and the drawbacks reported by students and parents. Full comparison with pros and cons →
Advantage Testing
www.advantagetesting.comOne-on-one tutoring nationwide; many tutors are Ivy League graduates; highly individualized pacing.
Drawbacks: Very expensive: users report paying $425 per 50 minutes, and experienced tutors cost more. Expect to spend $10,000 or more for comprehensive preparation. No score guarantee.
Elite Prep
eliteprep.comClassroom programs with 30+ years of curriculum; locations in California and Texas plus online; academic tutoring and counseling under one roof.
Drawbacks: Large mixed-level group classes; boot camps run about $4,000. Reddit reviews describe time spent on vocabulary drills and say the format suits mid-range scorers (1200 to 1400) better than students already near National Merit level.
Excel Test Prep
www.exceltest.comExperienced instructors who know the PSAT well; classroom, live-online, on-demand and private tutoring; score-improvement guarantee.
Drawbacks: Primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, so outside the Bay Area you would have to use their online options. Pricing not listed publicly.
KD College Prep
kdcollegeprep.comOne-time fee covers PSAT and SAT prep through graduation; in-person, live online and on-demand formats.
Drawbacks: In-person classes primarily in the northern Dallas area; several thousand dollars up front. Students on Reddit repeatedly report the practice tests are harder and trickier than the real SAT and that the workshops, not the classes, are the useful part. Settled a 2008 College Board copyright suit over use of actual SAT materials.
Manhattan Review
www.manhattanreview.comTest prep courses and tutoring for the PSAT, SAT and graduate exams; online and in-person options.
Drawbacks: Limited presence outside New York City, so in-person courses are frequently canceled. Often confused with the unrelated Manhattan Prep; Reddit reviews of its GMAT and LSAT courses are negative, and there is little public record of SAT or National Merit results.
TestMasters
TestMasters PSAT/National Merit courseRecord numbers of National Merit Semifinalists year after year; more rigorous than most programs; extensive free extra help; classroom, live online, on-demand and private formats; 200-point PSAT score-increase guarantee; live online from anywhere. Comes with 72 digital tests available to students, and the TestMasters software is highly rated for extra SAT and PSAT practice.
Drawbacks: Very popular and can fill up early, so sign up in advance. Rigorous pace; students who miss classes may struggle to catch up. Live in-person classes are not offered everywhere in the USA.
Free official practice: College Board's Bluebook app has full-length adaptive SAT practice tests, and Khan Academy's Official Digital SAT Prep is free and tied to your College Board account. Score each practice test with the Selection Index calculator and aim above your state's five-year high.