Families often ask whether Science and Technology at Eleanor Roosevelt High School has an entrance exam. It does not publish one. Eligibility rests on two numbers the student mostly already has: the PSAT 8/9 score and the grade point average (GPA). This guide explains each one, what PGCPS has and has not published, and what a family can do about them.
What the school says
The school's admissions page puts it in one sentence: a scholar's eligibility is based on the PSAT 8/9 score and GPA. PGCPS describes Science and Technology as a rigorous four-year program for Grades 9 to 12 at three sites, and that description is consistent with the school's own pages.
The PSAT 8/9
The PSAT 8/9 is a College Board test for 8th and 9th graders. For Science and Technology, every applicant takes it. PGCPS 8th graders sit for it at their own schools. Students outside PGCPS sit for it at one of the three Science and Technology sites.
Timing needs a check. The school's admissions page lists December for the test. Some PGCPS pages say October for current PGCPS 9th graders and students outside PGCPS. The two do not agree, and no single confirmed 2026-27 date was found. Ask the school counselor or the PGCPS Testing Office which date applies before you plan around one.
Because the test is part of the selection, a PGCPS 8th grader who misses it is not in the automatic consideration pool. PGCPS says current 8th graders are considered as long as they have taken the PSAT 8/9.
Can a student retake it?
A student who is not accepted as a freshman can retake the PSAT 8/9 and reapply. For reapplicants entering Grade 9, the unweighted core GPA and the PSAT 8/9 score are used to calculate the total score.
The GPA
The GPA is not the transcript GPA a school prints at graduation. The school says it is determined by quarter grades in four core subjects: English, math, science and social studies. It counts all four quarters of the previous school year and the first quarter of the current school year.
For an 8th grader applying in fall 2026, that means the full 7th grade year and the first quarter of 8th grade. For a 9th grader, it means the full 8th grade year and the first quarter of 9th grade.
Which grades matter
| Counts toward the Science and Technology GPA | Does not appear in the published description | | --- | --- | | English quarter grades | Electives and arts | | Math quarter grades | Physical education | | Science quarter grades | Extracurricular activities | | Social studies quarter grades | A separate essay for PGCPS students |
The right-hand column is only a description of what the published pages do not mention. If your counselor tells you something different, ask for the source in writing.
What is not published
PGCPS and the school do not publish a PSAT 8/9 cutoff, the weight of the score against the GPA, the number of seats at Roosevelt, or an admit rate. They also do not describe a lottery for the program. This site does not guess at any of it.
That absence is useful to know. It means any claim of a magic score or a guaranteed number is not backed by a published source.
What a family can do
- Confirm the test. Make sure your student is registered for the PSAT 8/9 and knows the date and place.
- Protect the core grades. Steady quarter grades in English, math, science and social studies matter more than any single extra.
- Check the address. Only students within the northern boundary of PGCPS are admitted to Roosevelt, and a student attends the site that serves the legal address.
- Keep records. Save the test registration, report cards and any email from PGCPS.
- Plan for March. The PGCPS Testing Office sends decisions in early March. PGCPS describes a wider March to May range for specialty programs.
A note on timing
Because the GPA looks back over a full school year plus the first quarter of the current one, most of the grades that count are already earned by the time a family reads this. What remains is the first quarter of the application year and the PSAT 8/9 itself, so those are the two places where attention pays off now.
For private school and homeschool families
Private school and homeschool applicants complete the Google Form on the ERHS admissions page, and the PGCPS chart also lists an essay for them. Applicants need a PGCPS student information number. Because grades come from a different school system, ask PGCPS what documentation it wants for the core-class grades.
Sources
- ERHS Science and Technology admissions
- ERHS Science and Technology FAQ for prospective students
- PGCPS High School Specialty Programs Chart
- PGCPS Science and Technology page
For help thinking through your own student's situation, see EduAvenues high school admissions.
ERHSPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt High School Science and Technology Program.