<p>I have an 800 Bio, 800 Lit., and 790 Math II. While these numbers aren't bad per se, do they really matter? What impact do they have on the admissions process?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>most colleges require 2-3 sat IIs</p>
<p>Like everything, they matter to an extent.</p>
<p>Supposedly the SAT I is more important ?</p>
<p>(And WOW, 800 Lit!)</p>
<p>"...these numbers aren't bad, per se..."</p>
<p>Um, no, more like freaking awesome.</p>
<p>Not one of the most important aspects of the app, (which I assume you're sad about!), but they're certainly taken into consideration. If all other aspects of your app are that strong...wow.</p>
<p>Aww, thanks. In this ultra-competative world, it's hard to feel good about your numbers. ^^;;</p>
<p>lol thanks for the stats profile? now it just looks like your trying to show off</p>
<p>Sure. ^^
Sorry if I gave off the wrong vibe.</p>
<p>it is terrible to have perfect SAT IIs. you are not going to get into any colleges. perfect just isn't good enough anymore.</p>
<p>I agree with aube88. I had perfect scores on four subject tests, but what result did I get? 2 deferrals.</p>
<p>But you're going to UChicago, which is among the top 10 universities in the nation, so simmer down.</p>
<p>Na na</p>
<p>Ted O'Neill at Chicago makes it clear that they do not care about Subject Tests, and barely care about the SAT Reasoning test.</p>
<p>"While these numbers aren't bad per se"
What is wrong with you? Only idiots score 790 on Math IIC. Haha! You're so going to end up at community college.
Middlebury lets you choose to submit 3 SAT II scores instead of the SAT I.
MIT does the same thing for international students. All top tier college require them, so I'm pretty sure they do matter if they require them, don't you think?</p>
<p>I suppose - but I'm pretty sure it's on a case by case basis. Some schools' curricula line right up, others don't. SAT I is definitely most important. If you're only aiming at admission through academics and no EC hook, then they'll matter more than if you have a hook.</p>
<p>
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What impact do they have on the admissions process?
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<p>to answer your question...it all DEPENDS....specifically, it depends on how each school's admissions dept uses the SAT II's in their judgment of your academic potential. As mentioned above, some schools could care less, but some schools do. In general, the more selective schools care more...but with scores like yours, it will surely help you get into just about any level school, so long as the "rest of the package" represents the same kind of strong academic potential.</p>
<p>Also, generally speaking, I agree with the above posters that SAT I V+M are usually viewed as more important, however, I think as you move up the selectivity food chain (again, generally speaking), SAT IIs take on more importance, and in some cases, may eclipse the importance, or at least come close, of SAT I's for a few schools. I cannot quote any specific source here, other than this is my collective belief after reading lots & lots of research reports & articles about the subject.</p>
<p>Interestingly, I have read a few reports where SAT I Verbal (CR) correlated better with success in college (as measured by college GPA) & was a much better predictor of success than SAT I M, with the exception of students enrolled in engineering & the like.</p>
<p>Here's a case example....Williams College is especially transparent on these issues, at least relative to others (they are all pretty darned secretive). Like most highly selective schools, Williams requires SAT II's in addidtion to the SAT I. Unlike some others, they still require SAT IIs in addition to the full ACT, implying that SAT IIs are an important part of their admissions evaluation. They roll up each applicant's academic potential into one number, the academic rating (AR), which captures the applicant's transcript, originating school, standardized test scores (SAT Is & IIs), recommendations, and other info like essays. This academic rating is a good predictor at how well the applicant could perform at the school. Low AR applicants are screened out early. Where Williams is a bit more open about all of this is the student research that is done on the admissions process. Williams has a reknowned economics program, with an emphasis on higher education. Digging into the research reports gives some clues as to how SATs are viewed. Here's a senior thesis that gets into some nitty-gritties on the AR subject, and correlations of various applicant attributes to college success, academic & other [warning: this report has many many statistical details, & it takes some reading time to ferret out the conclusions]:
<a href="http://www.ephblog.com/archives/images/doleac_thesis.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.ephblog.com/archives/images/doleac_thesis.pdf</a></p>
<p>Bottom line .....SAT IIs were a good predictor of future academic success, whereas SAT Is were not, or at least less so. Now this is only one study, but it would be hard for me to believe that Williams, in this case, would not have other internal studies, pointing to the importance of SAT IIs. I suspect that other schools have done similar studies, but who knows if success at their schools is positively correlated well with SAT II scores. So, I suspect from this study, & other snippets I have read abot Williams, that SAT II scores, are indeed an important part of the admissions equation....that is, they make up a significant portion of the Academic Rating. BUT remember there are other likewise important inputs to that AR, like transcript & recommendations that show some sort of intellectual spark.</p>
<p>Back to your question.....rest assured that your scores can only be good for your candidacy anywhere. From a strategic perspective, schools that put significant weight on SAT II scores would view that portion of your application especially well. While keeping "FIT" as your most important search parameter, I suggest you dig in enough to your target school's admissions policies (info on the web, or just call & ask) to get a clue as to how they view SAT II scores in the mix of other inputs.</p>
<p>good luck.</p>