Hey everybody,
I have a 770 on Math 2 and a 710 on Lit. Are these scores good enough or should I retake them in December? Would retaking even make a difference? How much do colleges evaluate them?
By the way, I’m shooting for Top 20 schools, and I’m planning on majoring in economics and political science. My ACT score and GPA are in the competitive ranges for these schools, but it’s just the subject tests that I’m worried about.
Thanks for any help and input!
How many of these schools even say they even want to see subject tests? Why is the 770 low, in your view?
I would concentrate on getting your Act scores beyond the competitive range if applying out of state. 34/35 would be a great goal. Each college evaluates this differently so no one can answer that. Check out:https://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=379
For each of the schools your are looking at. This will give you better insight per each schools requirements.
Aren’t ACT scores out of 36?
Yes of course. I was stating apparently incorrectly to shoot for a 34 or 35 score. Sorry about that. For most competitive colleges it seems like 34 was the sweet spot.
@Knowsstuff I currently have a 34 composite and a 35 superscore. Is your opinion that with my ACT score, the subject tests are less important? Or did I misinterpret your post?
It really depends on the college, and since you have not named colleges, nobody can answer. Very few colleges require or consider Subject Tests, so for those that don’t, it does not matter what your Subject Test scores are. On the flip side, if your college list contains HYP, then the 710 is on the low side, but it’s not going to eliminate you.
@LibbyJane It is difficult to score well on the Lit test and if you look at the percentiles, you will see that 710 is not a bad score for that particular test. However, if you’re not satisfied, you could get a book of practice tests and see if you improve enough in practice to warrant taking it again. Best of luck!
Imo, we need to be cautious, unless a college specifically says they won’t look at subject tests. Any vagueness isn’t a confirmation. Why assume they don’t matter, when they may?
Doomed is a tough word. The top 20 can have both high expectations and thousands of applicants with good records. They way to make your best presentation is to know what your targets value and look for. (Not just what you want.) Self assess your match (that’s not just stats.) And then try to ensure the strengths/attributes those targets want do come through in your app, activities, and writing.
Lit is hard but reading and analytical skills matter for econ.
What are the ACT subscores? They matter, not just composite.
Do your best, don’t fret. Show them the right stuff.
Those uni’s that don’t mention subject tests on their admissions website might give more detail on their CDS (if they publish one). Section C.8 allows them to specify whether/how subject tests are used in an admission decision.