<p>I plan to apply early for Amherst, and they're a two-SAT II school. I have a Math IIC and a Literature SAT II coming up in October. I already have a U.S. History exam in the bank, so I only really need the Math IIC to complete my standardized test requirements. </p>
<p>I'm taking that extra Literature SAT II because I've been told that even though schools like Amherst may only require 2 SAT IIs, they still get to look all your scores, meaning that even an extraneous SAT II can help you even though it's not "officially counted". Is there any truth to this statement? Because if there isn't, I'm wasting worry and time over the Lit exam when I should be fully focused on the Math one. </p>
<p>BTW, I got an 800 on the U.S. History test, so I don't need the Lit test to boost my non-math/science SAT II.</p>
<p>They get to see all the scores because College Board always sends all scores it has for you whenever you request any one SAT or SAT II score to be sent. Many colleges that require II's, including Amherst, consider your best two SAT II scores for admission and thus taking a third one won't necessarily hurt you but helps only if it is higher than another score submitted. In your case, that does not seem to apply to justify taking the third exam.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. I'm also taking this third test in case I get rejected from Amherst, and in case I feel like applying to one of those few schools that require 3 SAT IIs (Harvard, Yale, Princeton). I just want some reassurance, but say I get an 800 in Math IIC but only about a 700 in Lit. Is there any way that would hurt me in a two-SAT II school, as opposed to having a perfect SAT II record of 800 and 800? Or is it a moot point since they would only consider my two highest scores?</p>