Does sending Subject test scores help or hurt chances for admission?

[chillkitty]

UMich’s website is strangely silent on the topic of subject tests. It only mentions that sending in additional information not requested may slow down the evaluation of your application. Do you think sending in subject test scores is too much?

[momofthreeboys]

You can but you don’t need to unless you are homeschooled. Only a handful of college/unis in the nation ask for subject test scores. From the admission website:

No, we do not require SAT Subject tests for admission unless you have been home-schooled. If you include these test results as part of your application and you have not been/are not being home-schooled, we will consider the scores only in light of how they might benefit your review. You will not be penalized for low SAT subject test scores since they are not a required component of a complete application.

[chillkitty]

Thanks @momofthreeboys. I think I’ll wait. If I get deferred EA, I’ll send in the scores to improve my application.

[Alexandre]

How could sending subject test scores hurt you? Let us be mildly logical here. An applicant with 770+ in 2-3 subject tests will likely stand better odds than a student with similar GPA and SAT/ACT scores but no subject tests…all other things being equal of course.

I would not bother submitting scores lower than 700.

[chillkitty]

I’m holding off sending my subject test scores (math2 800 and bioE 760) because I read on last year’s forum that if your scores are too high EA round, then UMich is more likely to defer you. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but I have 35 act OOS and am trying to improve my odds in the first round.