Today we are going to talk about SAT Subject Tests.
A question that I often get from students is, "should I even take an SAT Subject Test?
What are they?
Which ones do I need to take?"
So first of all, the answer to this question is a bit complicated.
It all depends on what schools you're applying to, and every school has different preferences
and you just have to look those up according to all the schools that you're applying to.
But I know that's kind of a frustrating answer, because many students don't even know where
they're applying.
The majority of schools suggest that you take at least two SAT Subject Tests, or require
that you take two SAT Subject Tests.
In general, if you're applying to any engineering programs, especially if they're going to be
competitive engineering programs, you're going to need an SAT Math Subject Test and a Science
Subject Test.
But let's get into more specifics.
So now what we're going to do is go over groups of colleges that have similar policies toward
the SAT Subject Tests.
Some schools require 2 SAT Subject Tests no matter what.
Other schools say that you can choose - you can either take the ACT, or the SAT 1 and
at least two Subject Tests, and then some schools recommend but don't require that you
take SAT Subject Tests, and finally we have some schools that have said they do not require
SAT Subject Tests at all.
There's a few schools that have unique policies and we're going to go through some of those
as well.
So, here we go!
First we're going to start off with a list of colleges that require two SAT Subject Tests,
no matter what.
Those colleges are: Harvard, Pomona, Haverford, Dartmouth, Princeton, MIT, and Williams.
Now some of these schools get even more specific in terms of which tests in particular you
have to take.
For example, Princeton requires Engineering students to take at least one SAT Subject
Test in either Physics or Chemistry, and one in Mathematics, either Level I or Level II.
MIT requires all students to take an SAT Subject Test in Math Level I or II and a test in either
Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.
Another question that I get from students is, "Do I need to take the SAT Subject Tests
if I'm taking the ACT?"
And the answer really depends on the school you're applying to.
There are actually some schools that will let you either take the ACT, or you can take
the SAT I with Subject Tests.
These colleges are: Yale, Amherst, University of Pennsylvania, Duke, Vassar, Tufts, Columbia,
Brown, Rice, and Swarthmore.
Now, I'm going to add a few little caveats to these as well.
Vassar for example requires that you take your SAT Subject Tests in different subjects,
so you can't take the Math Level I and the Math Level II and think that you're done.
Not so impressive.
You want to diversify so that colleges get a feel for what you can do.
Next, Tufts requires those who are going to the Sciences or Engineering to take a Math
Level I or II and either Physics or Chemistry.
Swarthmore also gives you one additional option, and that is you can take the SAT and the ACT,
but you don't necessarily have to take the writing section of the ACT.
So you could get out of taking SAT Subject Tests if you're applying to Swarthmore by
taking the ACT, and you can even skip the writing section of the ACT if you didn't want
to do that.
Next we have a list of colleges that recommend at least two SAT Subject Tests.
And these colleges are: Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Northwestern, and Emory.
Just like the other colleges we talked about, these schools also have some preferences even
though they say it's just a recommendation, they have recommendations within those recommendations.
So those recommendations are: Stanford prefers that you have Math Level II, instead of Math
Level I, if you're prepared enough to take it.
Berkeley highly recommends that you take SAT Subject Tests if you're applying to the College
of Chemistry and the College of Engineering, and that you have Math Level II and at least
one science, either Biology, Chemistry, or Physics, depending on what major you're applying
to.
So for example if you're applying to a Biology major, then having a Biology SAT Subject Test
is going to be in your favor.
UCLA does not require but highly recommends that you take Math Level II, and one science
of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics, depending on the major you're going into.
And Northwestern requires that you take Chemistry and Math Level II, if you're applying to the
Honors Program in Medical Education, and they require that you have Chemistry, Physics and
Math Level II if you're applying to the Integrated Science Program.
So that would be three tests, by the way: Chemistry, Physics, and Math Level II.
Next we're going to get into colleges that do not require two SAT Subject Tests.
For these schools, you basically can just take the SAT I or the ACT.
These include: The University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, Wesleyan, Bowdoin,
and the University of Notre Dame.
Now within these, there's even more complications.
Wesleyan, for example, actually has made all standardized testing optional.
So if you hate standardized tests, check out Wesleyan!
Bowdoin College has said that its test is optional, both the ACT and the SAT, and the
SAT Subject Tests, though about 80 to 85 percent of applicants do submit these scores.
And finally, the university of Notre Dame says only send your SAT Subject Tests, if
they enhance an application.
So if you bombed the SAT Subject Test, don't send it in to Notre Dame.
So if you don't like standardized testing, check out Bowdoin and Wesleyan.
You might be able to get away without sending in any test scores.
Next we're going to talk about colleges that are exceptions to the list.
These colleges have their own rules and you're just going to have to figure it out.
First of all, Cornell.
Cornell has an entire .pdf spreadsheet to explain which SAT Subject Tests you need to
take according to what major you're going to have.
It's all a little bit confusing, and some of them don't require any, and some of them
just require Math, and some of them require Math, and Science, and other things, so I
recommend that you check out those rules.
Georgetown requires three SAT Subject Tests.
So, not just two, but three.
So you better have some if you're going to apply to Georgetown.
Then we have New York University.
New York University is very flexible with its testing policy.
New York University actually allows you to choose whether you're going to take 3 AP Exams,
whether you're going to take 3 SAT Subject Tests, or you can take the SAT I as an alternative
to that, or you can take the ACT as an alternative to that.
That's right - you don't have to submit an SAT I or an ACT to NYU to get in!
And even, they'll accept IB coursework or IB Tests.
So, if you really are looking for an alternative way to get into college and yo bombed the
SAT I, NYU could be your ticket.
So that's about it.
If you don't know where you're applying yet, here are my general guidelines, if you're
applying to competitive schools.
Number one: Take the test when you're ready to take the test.
That means align your AP test schedule or your finals schedule with your SAT Subject
Tests schedule so that you only have to study once.
Number two: Take SAT Subject Tests in subjects that you think will improve your overall application.
If you're a rockstar at Physics, then you should be taking the Physics exam.
If you're amazing at literature, well then take the SAT Subject Test in literature.
Three: I generally recommend that students take at least two of these.
As you can see, three-fourths of the colleges on our list require or strongly recommend
that you take these tests.
So if you're applying to colleges, which I think you are, then chances are that you're
going to need some of these.
Since that's the case, you should just go ahead and plan for it.
It makes things easier, and I think one of those tests, if at all possible, should be
the Math II.
If you haven't taken precalculus by junior year, you should really just take the Math
I because you probably won't be prepared for the Math II.
And then finally, I usually recommend, even if it doesn't align with your class schedule,
or if you're behind, you should take all of these by November of your senior year.
If you haven't taken these tests by November of your senior year, you're probably getting
into "it's a little bit too late to take them."
One final note as well - if you are a native speaker of a language, like let's say you're
bilingual and your parents speak a different language, I have a lot of students who have
taken an SAT Subject Test in that language and it's been a really easy way for them to
pick up a good, high SAT Subject Test score.
I know what you're thinking, "I kind of just want to look at the list of all of those colleges
because I forget what you just said."
You are in luck, they are all on our blog at supertutortv.com.
You can look at that link below.
You can go and look at these lists, you can print them out, you can put them on your bulletin
board and start to make plans.
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I will see you next time on supertutorTV!