<p>Given that two tests with equal scaled scores can reflect drastically different curves and percentiles, is an 800 in, say, Chinese, considered in equal light as an 800 in literature?</p>
<p>Probably not. I'm not a college admissions person but it's clear that if you speak Chinese Mandarin at home, you're going to do well on the SAT II. If I tried to take the test (even if I took it in school), I'd do horribly probably. </p>
<p>On the other hand, all kids who read/speak English have an equal shot at the literature. Although some kids might be more qualified than others, literature isn't something that you speak at home.</p>
<p>If you did get that, it is an achievement but consider the fact that most studious Asian-American students would do well on it considering the curve.</p>
<p>My answer: No.</p>
<p>It depends. I talked to a UCLA rep and she said it makes no difference If someone got a 800 on Chinese or math or lit or.... But at schools like Harvard and such, if you speak a language at home it's better that you take a different SAT II.</p>
<p>As drjay says, in the UC system it makes no difference because the schools use a computerized system. An 800 in any SAT II subject test is the same. But at the elite schools, percentiles and such probably would make a difference.</p>
<p>If some chinese people know little chinese, but studied a lot to do well in the test, is there any way to distinguish them from native speakers who are fluent in chinese and can easily do well in the SAT II Chinese test? Would top colleges recognize those not fluent chinese people as making achievements?</p>
<p>@calmy8899:
No.</p>
<p>Nah, thats why dont waste your time taking SAT II's your not good at</p>
<p>Actually - with affirmative action adcoms are not legally allowed to presume that just because you are a certain race, you can speak the most popular language of that race. Therefore, if you mark that you are Asian and take the Chinese SAT II they cannot "legally" hold that against you. However, someone could be biased and decide to take the "law" into their own hands.</p>
<p>If you mark on your application that english is your second language and take the TOEFL. then you should NOT take your main language as an AP class/test (unless you want the credit at a school that offers it) or SAT II test (unless you want to look bad for taking a test that you never had to actually "learn").</p>
<p>no, chinese is largely a BS test bc there are SOOOO many 800s on it</p>
<p>
[quote]
in the UC system it makes no difference because the schools use a computerized system.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Er, where did you hear that? Source?</p>
<p>uh-oh O__O</p>
<p>Will you REALLY be looked at that badly for taking SAT II's of a language you speak at home even if you haven't actually visited that country in over 10 years? :(</p>
<p>My understanding is that performance on quantitative (math, science) SAT II tests correlates better with college success (measured by grades), regardless of college major. For that reason, you will find some elite schools requiring/requesting that one of your SAT II tests be quantitative. If I remember correctly, performance on foreign language SAT II tests was one of the weakest predictors.</p>