<p>Now that I am realizing there is such a thing as subject exams ( I think they are SAT's?)...I wonder, how does one decide if they should take them, and which ones and then when to take them? I undertand that some universities may require subject tests. Will different school require different subjects, or will it depend on your major?</p>
<p>Go here for a list of colleges that require, recommend or consider SAT subject tests: <a href=“SAT Subject Test Requirements and Recommendations - Compass Education Group”>SAT Subject Test Requirements and Recommendations - Compass Education Group. If the colleges to which you intend to apply are on the list, you should consider taking the tests even if the college is just one that “considers” subject tests. If the colleges to which you intend to apply are not on the list, you can avoid the tests because there is little point in taking them. (Even then you should check the particular college’s rules because policies of a college can change before that list is updated.)</p>
<p>As to which ones you should take for those that require or recommend them, check the colleges to which you will actually apply but generally: (a) if applying for engineering and at some colleges a science, a number of those on the list either require or recommend a math and a science, and some want that math to be the math 2; (b) some recommend a math when applying for a business major; (c) for other majors, you can usually take whatever you want as long as the tests are in different subject matters, e.g., if the college requires two, submitting both math 1 and math 2 would count as only one.</p>
<p>You should take them when you are ready to do so but as far as deadlines are concerned: (a) if you will be applying early action or early decision to a college with an early Nov application deadline for EA or ED, you will need to take them by no later than Oct of your senior high school year for some of those college, and by Nov for others. If applying regular admission, the latest test date will be either Dec or Jan depending on college.</p>
<p>Know that if you aren’t at the top of the applicant pool of a certain school and Subject Tests are “recommended” you would be wise to take them and send them, as long as they help your case. Just like “optional” essays, you really should do them if you really want in that particular school.</p>
<p>@drusba, thank you for the great info and GREAT link! I now have to figure out how to save and organize the posts and links, etc that I am getting from CC so that i can find them again later. 
This was great info and I see several college names on that list that may very well be on D’s list.
@youdontsay, thank you…that seems like sound advice.<br>
If you take a subject test, but do not do well (yikes) can you keep the scores from being sent to those Subject test optional schools?</p>
<p>As to your question of when to take them - we’ve found the best time is at the end of the school year after the student has taken that subject. The material is fresh in their minds and a quick review through a study guide along with a practice test or two is usually enough preparation to do well on the test. Foreign languages would be an exception. You’ll want to wait until the student has taken at least two years of the same language.</p>
<p>Our policy has been to take at least two - one math and at least one science - to leave college application options open. Kids change their minds all the time about what they want to study and where they might want to go. We didn’t want to be in a panic at the last minute having to study for and take extra exams for a last-minute school choice.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that some schools use results of Subject tests for placement purposes. Check that area of university websites during your research on schools.</p>
<p>That list has not been updated: Boston U just eliminated subject tests except for special combined BS/MD etc programs…</p>
<p>Wonder when they update it?</p>
<p>As to whether you can withhold scores of tests you have taken, you really need to check the rules of each college. There are a number of colleges that require you to send “all scores” but within that group what is meant by all scores varies. For example Stanford, which you will see on the list at the site above recommends 2 SAT subject tests, is an “all scores” college but it requires you to provide all SAT and ACT scores while allowing to provide whatever SAT subject test scores you want to provide and thus you can withhold any one or more of those. On the other hand, Georgetown, which is also an “all scores” college and recommends 3 SAT subject tests, requires you to provide all SAT, ACT, and SAT subject test scores that you have.</p>
<p>A starting point for research into the rules is here: <a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-score-use-practices-list.pdf[/url]”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-score-use-practices-list.pdf</a> It is College Board’s list of colleges and applicable rules of use of SAT scores. You will see in the list a number of schools as being “all scores” colleges. The problem is the list has two deficiences. One is that the list has not been updated for sometime and a few colleges that were “all scores” colleges have actually switched to not being so. The other is that it provides only the rules applicable to the SAT and not to any other tests. To determine whether the college requires all ACT scores or all SAT subject test scores requires going to its website and reviewing its rules. Even then you may find issues. Bureaucrats at colleges have a tendency for unclarity and for some of them the actual “all scores” rules that the colleges set out on their sites are like trying to read through mud and you cannot determine what the actual rule is particularly as to ACTs or SAT subject tests. Moreover. the rules are sometimes not even easy to find on a site.</p>
<p>You should also be aware that exercising score choice when sending official scores to colleges to prevent some scores from being sent does not necessarily prevent the college from learning of the scores. There are many high schools that put all your scores on your official high school transcript that is sent to colleges, rendering your exercising score choice with College Board pointless, and thus you need to check what your high school actually does.</p>
<p>Would it be okay if I submitted just one SAT subject test score? I plan on applying ED to Scripps and I’m definitely submitting my U.S. history score. I’m not too sure about my Literature test score. I guess I’m a bit confused about what a “good” score is. Does anyone have an idea on what a good or acceptable score would be on the Literature test? I want it to help me instead of hurting me.</p>