<p>I'm planning to take at least 3 subject tests, but I'm wondering if there needs to be a variety in those I choose, besides any specific college requirements.</p>
<p>I'm thinking of taking US History, Math II, and Literature, but I'm wondering if this concentrates too much in the humanities. Especially since I haven't taken any AP sciences, I'm wondering if I should take at least 1 science, despite my reticence to do so.</p>
<p>I think for most top (prestigious) schools, one math/science and one humanities is required. The US Hist/Math II/Lit seems fine to me as it is…and if you’re not good at science, DON’T take it. It’ll just reflect poorly on your test scores overall.</p>
<p>Agreed. You only really need one math, OR one science. Unless, of course, you’re planning to go into bio or engineering or similar, in which case you’d need both, but it doesn’t seem like you’re going for that.</p>
<p>A few schools do ask for both a math and science. Olin College of Engineering, for instance, requires both. There are others, but I can’t name them off the top of my head.</p>
<p>If you’re a junior and have not yet exhausted your college search, and IF you intend to major in science or math at one of our country’s best math, engineering, or science schools, I would play it safe and plan on taking both math and science. That way, you’ll be prepared when application time comes.</p>
<p>Otherwise, if you’re more of a liberal arts sort or if you’re planning on applying to other than the very top schools in math and science fields, then there’s no need to take both math and science.</p>
<p>Well, as it turns out, MIT requires both a math and a science so I’ll have to be taking both.</p>
<p>Science might be a difficulty though… I’ve only taken 1 semester of physics and 1 year of chemistry.</p>
<p>My son will be finishing up his first physics course in January, and he finished up his only chemistry course last January. He’ll take AP Chemistry in his senior year, but that will be too late for the test. That’s his school’s normal progression for AP kids. Just like you, apparently.</p>
<p>So, he opted to self-study for the Chemistry test over winter break. His first diagnostic test was discouraging while he was taking it. He allowed himself just the one hour, just like the real test, and he felt like he didn’t remember a whole lot of from just about a year ago. But he was surprised to find that his raw score on that discouraging test was equivalent to something like a 650! He got a lot wrong – much more than he’s used to getting wrong, and yet his first diagnostic test before reviewing any material was a 650. That told him that the curve in chemistry was pretty darned good.</p>
<p>Now, he’s a week into his winter break, he’s studied a total of maybe 6-8 hours, and he’s scoring 800’s on the practice tests. He’s very encouraged.</p>
<p>I hope this helps and inspires you! He has the Barron’s book and the Princeton Review book, btw. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks! That’s extremely helpful. I’m planning to take the Chemistry test in June. Unfortunately, I won’t have the opportunity to take any AP sciences till next year.</p>
<p>Of the two books, which has he found to be the best?</p>
<p>Well, he definitely likes the PR book the best, mostly because he thinks it’s more representative of the kinds of questions that will be asked on the real thing. He thinks the Barron’s book is harder than it has to be, and that the study chapters are much more in depth than they need to be. So he’s been doing almost all his studying out of the PR book and consulting the Barron’s book only when he thinks he needs a more in-depth discussion of a particular topic. </p>
<p>The Barron’s book has been quite useful in one respect. It has a diagnostic test in the very beginning of the book. The PR book doesn’t have a diagnostic test, only several practice tests. The beauty of the diagnostic test is that then Barron’s breaks down your results into different topics and tells you how you scored in each area – Acids and Bases, Equilibrium, Solutions, etc. That way, my son could focus his studies on his weakest areas first. It worked well for him. Other than taking the diagnostic test and narrowing his focus for studying, he has rarely used the Barron’s. But eventually, he’ll be taking the practice tests in the back of it as well.</p>
<p>(He also liked the PR books for World History and Math I.)</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>