Do I have no chance in acceptance if I have NO SAT IIs?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hi, I never took any SAT IIs. Harvard says they don't require them, but will I just be wasting my time applying?
My GPA and ACT score is fine, however.
Thanks</p>

2

<p>This is Harvard’s first year of not requiring SAT II’s, so without more statistical information, it’s really anyone’s guess. </p>

3

<p>Did you have a financial hardship or other reason to not take them? Harvard’s presentation about making the subject tests optional suggested that they were doing so to reduce barriers to admission for less privileged applicants. As Gibby stated, no one really knows.
The educated guess in my neck of the woods (Maryland) is that they aren’t really optional for privileged kids. However, since the stated policy is that they are optional, if you want to apply and your application is otherwise in the range (GPA, SAT I), you will not be “wasting your time”.</p>

4

<p>i have the same issue. my major doesn’t apply to any of the subject tests so it didn’t make sense for me to take them. i wonder if they’ll see that none of the subject tests could’ve possibly applied to my major</p>

5

<p>Keep in mind: <a href=“A change for the better — Harvard Gazette”>http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/03/a-change-for-the-better/&lt;/a&gt;

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6

<p>Thanks for the responses guys! I think I’ll apply</p>

7

<p>@iamsoworried that isn’t a good reason not to take SAT II. I don’t think colleges expect you to only take them as related to your major, if they are asking for them. Sure if you are doing engineering you’d better take the math2 but these colleges are looking at high level of accomplishment across the board, generally. They are not going to think about your major too much when admitting you. Like my dd, for instance, applied undeclared, but took math 2, lit and maybe history , How would anyone think those relate to undeclared major. It isn’t like the GRE subject test.</p>