Here’s a list of all the schools I am thinking of:
uva
uchicago
stanford
pomona
washington and lee
william and mary
urichmond
brown
northwestern
upenn
tufts
vassar
vanderbilt
yale
scripps
claremont mckenna
swarthmore
columbia
Are there any that jump off that list as really needing SAT Subject Tests? Not a single one of them says required (I’m planning on sending in my ACT anyway, and quite a few say SAT and subject tests OR ACT), but I’ve heard some still strongly recommend it meaning you need to to be competitive (or, they only say it isn’t needed for noncompetitive high schools that don’t know about it or those who can’t afford it, I live in Northern Virginia in a relatively wealthy area so that definitely isn’t the case). I know for UChicago it’s really whatever and Stanford it’s more oh you should really do it, but in general which of those come across as “you should really take them if you wanna be competitive”?
I’m a junior and will be applying EA to several schools and would ideally not like to take any (I don’t feel like they’d strengthen my application in anyway and would rather focus on other aspects of my application instead). Assuming that all my other stats, ECs, etc. are good, is not taking SAT IIs a bad idea or will it be okay?
Thanks in advance, I appreciate any and all comments! 
Each school has its requirements clearly laid out online. Go to each school and check.
We’re in a similar situation. My son, who just finished his junior year, is in the process of building his list of schools, and we have to decide about his taking the SAT Subject Tests. Your list actually includes several schools he’s also considering.
We’ve found the same thing – most/all of the schools don’t say the tests are required (especially if you’ve taken the ACT, which he has, and it’s what he’s going to report to schools), more “recommended” or “considered”. But then I’ve heard people say, any time a school says something is “recommended/considered”, that means you should do it :-).
I appreciate that, but I’m resisting, partly because I want to take the schools at their word, because I don’t want to have to have my son take more tests, he’s got enough other things to do, and because it really is somewhat of a game/racket.
One difference in our situations is that we’re in Illinois, which is a location that has long had a preference for the ACT (my impression is that, roughly, the SAT is bigger on the coasts, the ACT in the middle). But not sure that makes a difference for this.
Anyway, that’s my current feeling, but I’m interested to see what others have to say.
It is partially dependent on what you plan to study/what part of a school you are applying to. For example, if you are applying as a chemistry major you should take the chemistry subject test. Another example is engineering, most schools require engineering majors to have math II and one other science. On the other hand, if you are applying as a humanities major it is not as important. But, if you are a history major or a literature major, it would be a good idea to take that respective test. So the real question is what are you planning on studying?