<p>I'm a rising senior who is preparing for college applications next year. I have been trying to adjust my test taking for all the different requirements for different colleges. However, I have run across several dilemmas when it comes to colleges that "recommend" something. For example, Wellesley recommends submitting one SAT II in the math/science area and one in the humanities. However, all of my strong SAT's are ONLY in the math/science area. So do I ignore their recommendation and submit my best, or submit one of the humanities even if it is about 80 points lower? </p>
<p>Basically: how strictly should recommendations be followed, and how much do they truly affect an application?</p>
<p>This is an excellent question, imo. I tend to think that “recommended” actually means “required” in this extremely competitive college admissions climate, absent any other outstanding “hooks” etc.</p>
<p>The following is just a hunch. I’m thinking that if your skill set were reversed, I’d say to be sure to submit as Wellesley describes. Historically, as a Seven Sisters college, they might not have had strong math/science applicants in years past, and want to be sure they get people with equal (at least) strengths today.</p>
<p>If what you have to offer is remarkable math/science strengths to an all-women’s college, I think that’s appealing as a niche candidate. </p>
<p>Could you not take 3 SAT-II’s (2 in math/science, one in humanities) and let the chips fall where they may? Report your two math/sciences and assume if they’re curious they can look up the humanities score on the SAT-II score report, which now shows all (I believe that’s a recent change.) </p>
<p>What if you asked the Wellesley admissions office, explaining it just as you did here? </p>
<p>Good luck. Maybe we should find out how Hillary did hers? :)</p>
<p>They are telling you they want to see breadth. </p>
<p>You want to show them that you really are an excellent math/science student. The question is how to do that while also making it clear that you’re not “just” a math/science person. (If you see yourself as “just” a math/science person, then the suggestion is telling you that Wellesley may not be the school for you. And if you present yourself as “just” a math/science person even if that’s not who you are, you’re submitting an application that they’ve already told you doesn’t have that great a chance.)</p>
<p>How do you think you can best present yourself as someone who is capable of solid work in the humanities but stands out even more in math and science? Are there other parts of the application that will allow you to show off your abilities in one area or the other? (I’m not familiar with the Wellesley application.) Does your transcript make an especially good case for your abilities in one area or the other? Are the teachers most likely to write you glowing recommendations in one area or the other?</p>
<p>If it were me I’d take “one of each” as the default, and only switch to two math/science scores if I thought I could make a good enough case for my abilities in the humanities with the rest of the application.</p>
<p>You can’t choose which SAT IIs to submit. Once you took them, all the scores will be on your report (unless you sent the math/science ones already, and took humanities afterwards, and are now trying to decide wether you should submit it…)</p>
<p>From our limited experience, top colleges that “recommend” taking SAT IIs pretty much = require them. However, it is much more of a “recommended” when it comes to specific subjects, or to teachers who write recommendations (some schools “recommend” one math/sci + one hum/soc sci, or “recommend” to only ask 11th & 12th grade teachers, etc.)</p>
<p>I don’t know what your scores are, but if your math/science SAT is 700+ and the humanities one is 600+ I don’t think you’ll be hurt even if the humanities score is 80 points lower. I tend to go with the recommended really means required school of thought. Do you have a strong humanities/social science AP score that might also help to indicated breadth?</p>
<p>“Recommend” means that if it helps you, you submit – if not, you withhold. (Example: my d. had math & science SAT scores in the 500’s, so she opted not to use them, even though that also meant withholding literature & writing scores above 700.). But generally the only way to withhold SAT II scores is to submit ACT instead – unless the college is entirely test optional. </p>
<p>I agree with the other posters that strong math/science scores would be a particular asset in competing for admission at any women’s college or at most small LAC’s – so in your case, you should definitely submit.</p>
<p>In this context, you should ALWAYS read “recommended” to mean “required”. This is also true for any schools to which you apply which have an “optional” essay as part of their application. “Optional” also means “required”.</p>
<p>I think the more competitive the college the more recommended becomes required by the simple force of the applicants who are applying. They will all have the recommended stuff at the top places.</p>
<p>It’s the whole package. My d. seems to have spent her whole life getting things that she shouldn’t have if you looked at the numbers or the specific list of requisites. I’m the one who was always doubtful over the missed piece. Obviously every time she has been successful, including with college admissions, it is because she stood out in her own way. </p>
<p>The point is, if the “recommended” or “considered” option will put the applicant on par with or ahead of the competition, then it makes sense to submit it – but if it is a weakness, then there is no good reason to submit. If a kid does not submit SAT II scores, the ad com will assume that either the kid did not take the suggested tests or else that the scores were weak; if a kid submits weak scores, then the ad com will know that the kid took the tests and did badly. In the above scenario, I’d think it would be unwiseto submit scores - it only weakens the application further in the already-weak area. However, if the scores are strong, then it would be equally dumb to allow the ad com to draw a negative inference when the facts say otherwise – why hold back information that potentially helps? </p>
<p>The problem comes up when the scores are a mixed bag – and it can be a tough choice. You have to ask, “How much can the bad score on test X hurt?” and “How much can the strong score on test Y help?” and then make a considered judgment. That might be based on the individual student profile or on what else is available to present. </p>
<p>I think the fallacy of assuming that all students competing have “all the recommended stuff” is that in a highly competitive environment, the decisions are often made on intangibles. To the extent that most students have all bases covered, those factors tend to lose weight simply because all the applications look the same. When it is a matter of a test score that is encouraged but not absolutely required, it becomes a piece of information that the college may or may not think they need. And again, that will be determined by the overall context of the application.</p>
<p>And to be even clearer, if you send SAT1 they will see the SAT2 (subject tests) as well. If you want to hide SAT subject tests you will have to take the ACT. I don’t think it’s worth obsessing about.</p>
<p>“Required” means your application will not be considered complete or reviewed with out the matierial (unless, of course you request and are granted an exemption). </p>
<p>“Recommended” means the school want the material, but it will review your application without it; you will, however, be at a competitive disadvantage if you do not provide the requested material.</p>
<p>I have also seen something similar in high school course requirements - “required” vs “recommended”. Take foreign language as an example, I have seen 4 cases: </p>
<p>Case 1) Units Required = 3; Unit Recommended = none;
Case 2) Units Required = none; Units Recommended = 3;
Case 3) Units Required = none; Units Recommended = 3+;
Case 4) Units Required = 3; Units Recommended = 4.</p>
<p>Applying the same theory that “recommended” ~= “required”, the results are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Case 2 = Case 1</li>
<li>Case 3 = Case 4, because “3+” means at least 3 units and you can only add one more unit on top of 3 at maximum.</li>
<li>When Case 3 = Case 4, both Case 3 and Case 4 really require the number of units = 4.</li>
</ul>
<p>Agree? Or “required” vs “recommended” in high school course requirements is different from that in standardized test requirements?</p>
<p>Yes, I think that’s where they’re different. Recommended and required seem to mean the same thing, as far as scores or other elements of an application.</p>
<p>When it comes to high school courses, recommended actually does mean just that. Or maybe “strongly suggested,” but truly NOT required. Colleges recognize that there’s a lot of variability in what’s available at high schools, and that over and above that, students can have scheduling glitches that may make it difficult or even impossible to take certain courses, or other good reasons for not taking them.</p>
<p>I think you have more leeway - especially since that “recommended” on courses usually refers to languages. They are so badly taught in many schools, and scheduling issues are so common, and there’s a long tradition in many systems of only taking two years that it’s much less of an issue.</p>