I am applying to brown early decision, some other high caliber universities then others in the mid range. Brown recommends two subject tests. I recieved a 700 on literature and a 740 on math two. I have a 35 ACT, 4.3 gpa and a lot of extracurriculars. Should I study and take the tests again and aim for a higher school? or should I focus more on school and applications? help!! thank you!
Some schools use the SAT2 scores in addition to SAT1 scores to come up with their test result categories. Given the 1440 you have in the SAT2s , you would not fare well in such a scenario. I do not know how Brown uses test scores for admissions.
Brown has a much heavier weight on the ACT and grades, but says subject tests are recommended and can be added if the applicant would like. So a small portion but would still be seen
Ummm. That 1440 is not great.
It’s not a 1440; it’s a 700 and a 740. Nobody adds Subject Tests together.
Anyway, will a 700/740 be the reason you are rejected, if that happens? Probably not. Your SAT/Act scores are more important. Without knowing what else you have on your plate in the 4-6 weeks before school starts, if it were me, at minimum, I’d either prep to retake Lit, or try a practice test to see if there were another subject that I could score higher.
Some schools (Harvard) add up all the SAT scores and use that number in assessing test scores. I do not know how Brown does it. Whether they assess each SAT2 or look at the scores together. I have data from schools here that do not break out the SAT2 scores for Brown, and 1440 is low for accepted students without a hook. In fact, there are none.
The SAT2 scores are excellent for all but maybe 30-40 schools. Brown is one of them.
OP has given very little other info. The test scores will be viewed in context of the type of high school OP has attended. Not great scores if coming from a rigorous school. OP’s limited info mirrors my youngest—high rigor courses including Calc, the sciences, with a lot of APs and a 4.0 UW. Brown or Penn ED chances without a hook or strong tip not looking good with the info his high school has. About 6-7 get accepted to those two schools each year but most of them also HYP et al accepted too. For an academic accept to Brown that 700 not good. Even 740 not great.
“Brown has a much heavier weight on the ACT and grades.” Think again. It all matters, and 700/740 are below their target bar. “Recommended” refers to kids who can’t afford or high schools that can’t facilitate SAT2s. If you omit yours, you are not getting away with something. You’re offering no input, null, in a situation where thousands of top kids will submit strong scores.
And anyone aiming high should realize it’s not the Composite that determines. It’s the sub scores. And that, for a tippy top, it’s simply never enough to say, “a lot of extracurriculars.” Like, what? And do you understand what is different about Brown, how you’re expected to show that, what they look for? I suspect not. Use the next weeks wisely, figure it out.
Far too soon to ask if you should “aim for a higher school.”
i meant score
Not my experience. And the Academic Index computation inputs each test separately (and GPA) to get an AI. But they still refer to GPA by itself. But I’ve never heard anyone at Harvard every refer to a combined Subject Test score. Your experience may be different.
I assumed a typo, which the OP confirmed, and if a rising senior, it’s not too soon.
I never said it didn’t, and said that I personally would retake. But I also said that I had no idea what his/her other priorities are for the next 3 months. If prepping for the Subject Tests detracts from writing excellent essays or maintaining GPA, then maybe retaking is not the best idea. But we don’t know what else is going on in his/her life. At the end of the day, plenty of applicants who have it all get rejected.
Although I’ve said many times on this site that the plural of anecdote is not data, I will present one data point - mine. Brown WL’d me despite high Subject Test scores. And if I had to guess, it was because I wrote crappy Brown-specific essays. So high stats are not the silver bullet. But that’s OK. I did all right with my other applications, and if the OP does not get into Brown, I’m hope s/he will also have some fine options.
“Some schools (Harvard) add up all the SAT scores” is totally incorrect.
OP still has alot to do to understand, before dashing off an ED app.
Ski, my comment that it all matters was to OP, who seems to think ACT and grades are enough. In fact, any blip can affect chances. If he’s STEM, any re-test should focus on the math 2 score. Someone else can look up how many kids re-take an S2. But, ime, few show retests. And he needs the right ECs, not just an oversimplified “lots.” And is that 4.3 gpa weighted? 'Cuz tippy tops look at the transcript, the actual grades, not just gpa. If he stumbled in some classes related to the major, whatever it is, or doesn’t have the right mix of ECs, there’s too much competition to just cross your fingers.
I don’t think he knows enough, yet, to rightly match himself to Brown, what they want, not just what he wants.
It is time to to apply, just make sure you do so broadly to a range of schools and it will all work out. Since there are many, but not complete admit overlaps among this level of school, apparently many are looking for the same thing, or the differences are too arcane to worry about anyway. Good luck!