I took the physics subject test after about two months of physics class and got a 590. I know my current score is not on par with admitted stats and will be retaking, but I was wondering if there was any leeway given in consideration for not having as much experience in the course.
Since there is no specific cut-off and there are many other things that can prove that you are capable of succeeding at MIT there will be some leeway. However, these scores are much lower than the scores of most admitted students. The admissions office will accept scores from exams taken as late as January. So keep studying and use your winter break to self study some of the important concepts that your class wouldn’t have gotten too yet or try another test like bio or chem.
Doubtful, although they may wonder why you didn’t just take a test in a subject in which you had experience.
Well it’s really stupid because MIT requires either chem, bio, or physics. At my school you can take one AP science, and the Physics subject test covers all of Ohysics 2. So as a junior I took Physics 1, which meant I wasn’t prepared for any subject test. Still pulled a 760 in physics with a lot of studying, but it’s not a good situation at all.
@tutututuru could you have taken the biology or chemistry subject test?
Also note that MIT requires chem, bio, and physics (mechanics and E/M) as pre-reqs for graduating.
@MITer94
I took biology honors in 9th grade and chem honors in 10th. It’s safe to say that my chem teacher is the worst teacher at the school. I got As, but I don’t know chemistry (and frankly, neither does he). And I’m sure my biology honors course in 9th grade, while good, wouldn’t do me a lot of good in 12th for the subject test. At my school you can only take 1 AP science, so. Yeah.
And I’m not worried about taking either of them in college. I definitely will just take the most basic version and not bite off more than I can chew.
AP courses are not needed to take the SAT subject test; the material is covered in the corresponding intro class. Whether that class at a particular school will adequately prepare one for the test is a different story, but expect no sympathy from MIT or any other college because your can only take 1 AP.
My school doesn’t offer science courses at a level that I would have felt adequately prepared for the other science tests. I felt most comfortable with physics because it was so based in mathematics. I had applied EA, so if I deferred, I will be spending most of winter break studying.
Also, I was not expecting some great advantage, but I did want to know if it was worth it to ensure the admissions officers were aware of the situation.
@skieurope
My honors courses by no means would have prepared me for the test. It was my understanding though that generally the AP courses are good prep for the subject tests. I’m not complaining, I’m happy with my score, so I’m not sure why you’re taking the tone you are.
All I’m saying is that Collegeboard messed up big time. You’d be far better prepared for their subject test if you didn’t take their ap class. As far as physics goes, at least.
The College Board never claims that AP classes prep for Subject Tests, so it is hardly their fault. It should be common knowledge that none of the 4(!!) AP Physics courses on their own cover the breath that is covered in the Subject Test.
I don’t really care to have this argument.
@OpalStone be aware that MIT’s core graduation requirements include one semester of biology (7.01x), one semester of chemistry (5.111, 5.112, or 3.091), and two semesters of physics (8.01/8.012/8.01L, and 8.02/8.022). I didn’t find many of these courses particularly easy. Of course, it varies from person to person.
@tututututuru College Board is not to blame here. My situation was fairly similar to yours, except I didn’t take chemistry until 12th grade, and there was no AP limit.
@MITer94 Thank you for the optimistic warning. While I did not feel prepared for the Subject Tests with my science courses, I was always strongly interested in the subject matter. I would be happy to take on the challenges should I be admitted.
@MITer94 I dunno. Don’t you feel that the physics subject test would have been adequately prepared for by a physics B course? I find it highly suspect that Collegeboard intends for nearly everyone who takes the physics subject test to self-study all that physics 2 material (heat, optics, magnetism, modern physics).
@tutututututuru IMO, Physics B, or Physics 1/2, or both Physics C classes should be adequate, but not necessary.
You’re applying to one of the best science and engineering universities, which includes bio/chem/physics and single-/multi-variable calculus as a basic graduation requirement, so the SAT subject test requirement should be a minor hurdle. Note that Caltech, as well as some engineering programs at other universities, either recommend or require an SAT subject test in bio, chem, or physics.
@MITer94 So you think just 1 of the 2 of either Physics 1 or Physics 2 is adequate? I dunno. Nobody else who I know took it would agree with you, because truly about half of the test is physics 2 material. Collegeboard seems to expect people interested in taking the test who take their AP Physics 1/2 sequence to self-study the whole second course, which seems… odd, to say the least.
I enjoy physics, and I (italics) want to take it at MIT. That said, adding the self-studying of physics 2 on top of my 7 classes, as well as doing calc 3 independent study through a local uni, made the first quarter of my senior year… painful. I realize this sounds whiny, and it might be. I realize MIT is hard, and a lot of work. Maybe it’s good that I’m getting used to a fraction of that now.
Still, my perception of the situation was that B and the 2 C’s offered adequate and strong prep for the subject test. Or, in other words, people could take a year-long physics class and take the subject test (people do both C’s in a year, right? I don’t know much about it other than that it’s calculus-based – my school’s physics teacher doesn’t know calculus, so). That is not the case anymore, truly.
And again, my score (760) is one that I’m okay with, and I don’t want to make it come off like I’m spiteful over a bad score – I’m not. I’m over whatever resentment I had towards Collegeboard for structuring their courses/tests like this. That doesn’t change my opinion on said structuring though, which is what this is all about.
@tutututututuru My apologies, what I meant here was “Physics 1 and Physics 2” (similar to “both Physics C classes”).
I took Physics C - mechanics junior year and the physics subject test in October of my senior year. I’ll admit, I didn’t really review much E/M, and my knowledge of circuits and E/M at the time was very rudimentary. Still scored a 740.
Yuck. Doesn’t sound like a good physics teacher to me.
Perhaps. However, you almost certainly won’t be taking 7 classes a semester unless you really want to or double major.
Do you think it is a good idea for CB to offer two physics subject tests, one on mechanics and one on E/M topics (perhaps at a slightly greater depth than currently)?
@MITer94
(I’m on my iPad and quoting would be a pain.)
As far as our E&M knowledge on the testing date goes, you and I were in the same boat. I knew circuits, and that was about it. Or, I should say, I knew circuits well**, and that was about it. I studied the other material to varying degrees of success. You’re right, the curve is very generous. Ridiculously so. Much more than any other test. But that calls to question CB’s strategy: why offer a test that very few are qualified to take and curve it ridiculously, instead of offering a reasonable test with a reasonable curve? I genuinely don’t know.
I think offering two tests would be a reasonable solution. And more in depth, sure. For when I took it, the questions were really, really basic. My only problem was that what might have been basic to a physics B student was somewhat foreign to me. Actually, since they’ve ditched Physics B and apparently don’t offer a 1-year calculus-based version, I think your solution might actually be the only one.
As for my teacher, hmm. Yeah. She doesn’t really do much. We actually have a PhD come in and teach, but he’s 85 years old and a volunteer. She’s on the payroll though. My parents didn’t actually even know about that guy for the longest time. But yeah, not calculus. In fact, only one teacher knows calculus at my school (the calculus teacher), and if you ask any other math teacher they’ll act like calculus is some esoteric subject for geniuses. And if you ask an algebra 2 teacher about pre-calculus they’ll be lost too. But hey-- my school’s administration says we are the best school in the nation, so I’m definitely inclined to believe them!
/sarcasm
@tutututututuru I was in the same situation as you, except I didn’t know E&M would be on the subject test (…my AP Physics 1 teacher didn’t know circuits would be on the AP Physics 1 test so we didn’t cover them until recently either) until it was too late. So, I went in blind and felt awful about my life afterwards.
Bad school district, no awareness of the existence of subject tests until spring of junior year when I realized they were entirely different from the SAT I and lack of realization that I wasn’t ready for that test because of this didn’t end well. I wish the best of luck and better preparation to all in my position.
In my personal opinion, AP Physics B should’ve never been split up. It’s created a huge problem with the SAT Subject Tests.
I’m not whining or at least don’t mean to sound like I am, but it’d be nice if they made us aware of this beforehand. Especially since most kids take Honors Bio freshman year (not exactly going to remember the material well enough for a subject test), Honors Chem sophomore year (again, not going to remember), and likely AP Physics 1 junior year as a lot of districts don’t offer calculus (which would be needed for C) until senior year for the “advanced” kids since most will be in pre-calculus senior year.