A few months ago, the UVA site said that SAT Subject Tests were “strongly recommended”. When I went to tour UVA, the admissions officer said that the SAT subject tests were “optional” now, and similarly the UVA website now says that the Subject Tests are optional.
So does this mean that you can submit SAT subject tests if you have them, but it won’t be held against you if you don’t submit any?
Thanks!
That’s exactly what it means. If it’ll add to your application, take them, if not, don’t. It won’t hurt you by not having them.
The testing page on our website: http://admission.virginia.edu/admission/testing
Those who applied to UVA in the past remember the “strongly recommended” language. We dropped that in the 2014-2015 season. The tests are totally optional now. IF you feel you are a star in an area, you can use a subject test to show off a little bit. Remember that these are just one hour. The 3 to 3.5 years on your transcript will be the most important part of the review.
@“Dean J” can I ask what " feel like you are a star in an area" means? I have read that submitting anything over a 750+ is amazing and then read that anything in the 90th percentile or higher is what admissions want to see. The percentiles for the SAT subject tests seem funny as if one scored a 800 on the Math 2 subject test, I believe that was in the 81st percentile. Clearly an 800 is amazing and of course a perfect score, but it won’t be above the 90th percentile. Are there any guidelines from UVA has to what a “star in an area is”. Thank you so much for any clarification.
“The percentiles for the SAT subject tests seem funny as if one scored a 800 on the Math 2 subject test, I believe that was in the 81st percentile. Clearly an 800 is amazing and of course a perfect score, but it won’t be above the 90th percentile.”
Most HS students don’t take SAT subject tests. The HS kids who do take them are usually limited to the pool of kids who are aspiring to the more selective colleges. So the pool of test takers for subject tests is much stronger than the overall pool of SAT test takers. That’s why a 750 on an SAT section is a 99th percentile, but a 750 on a subject test may be 85-90th percentile.
You should listen to what Dean J thinks, but the top 10-15% of the stronger pool of subject tests seems pretty good to me.
“You should listen to what Dean J thinks, but the top 10-15% of the stronger pool of subject tests seems pretty good to me”
@northwesty thank you. I am unclear as to what you mean, for the top 10-15% of the stronger pool? Is a Math score of 790 at 78% (when the Top score of 800 is 81%), considered a score that would make a student a “star” in that area (i.e., Math?)
Thank you
Let the student decide if they want to send it to their schools. Ask them if they like their score. If yes, tell them to send it. If not, tell them to move on and don’t give it another thought. It’s a one hour exam.