I signed up for an SAT Subject test for Physics that I didn’t study for. I’m taking Physics Honors right now but I literally have 2 days to study, so I’m probably going to do bad, but I can’t get a refund from collegeboard because the test is this Saturday. So my question is, can I go take the SAT physics test, and if I do really, really bad on it, can I retake it in August, and just submit that score. I also took the SAT Math 2 last year and got an 800. So I want to be sure that for example, if I have the following hypothetical scores:
SAT Math 2- 800 (June 2017 test)
SAT Physics- 600 (June 2018 test)
SAT Physics- 750 (August 2018 Test)
I want to be able to choose JUST the SAT Math 2 and then the Second SAT Physics test to send to ALL colleges on my list- including the UCs, Stanford, Cornell, etc. Is that possible?
Is it too late to change the date of the test? I remember reading that there is a fee to do this, but I don’t know when the deadline would be.
Have you taken a practice exam, preferably a released past test? If you have, and have scored a 600 (or less than you want), I would absolutely not take the test. It is better to lose the test fee than to take a test that you know you will not receive the score you’re shooting for.
Some schools make you send all test scores. Some allow you to select which ones to send (but College Board does charge for that service when you are allowed to select). Each college website will tell you if you go look at it. So it depends on where you are applying. You could just forfeit your fee and not sit for the test at all.
@intparent huh, okay. I just had a consultation for a college counselor who told me that I can choose which scores to send to all colleges. I’d double checked hear just to confirm- but thanks for letting me know.
question about SAT subject tests: If I choose to take the SAT Physics this weekend, and I do poorly, would it be possible to send just my SAT math score but not my SAT physics? I’m asking because I’m not very well prepared for the SAT physics (but I’m not able to change the date or get a refund) so I wanted to make sure that if I take the subject test and do poorly on it, I do not have to send it to the UCs or any other college)
@intparent thanks for letting me know! So if I do take the physics test on Saturday and do really bad (and then retake and do well) will that still have a major impact on Cornell apps?
I can’t answer that. I will say that my kids studied hard for their STEM tests – the curves are steep. They studied minimally for the Lit test – both were lifelong readers, and got very good scores with a very small amount of studying. It certainly won’t help your application if you have a very low score.
No. They will look at your best scores, even if they require all scores. But avoid that issue by not doing bad the first time around. Life’s too short to worry about things that may not happen.
There are only two colleges that require you to provide all subject test scores, Georgetown and Cornell (and for Cornell there is some uncertainty on the issue). Thus, if applying anywhere else, you can withhold some subject tests and send others and College Board will never provide anything to the college to even indicate you took the withheld test.
However, there could still be an issue. Many high schools put all your test scores on the official transcript provided to colleges when you apply for admission. Thus, you need to determine what your high school does and, if it is one that puts your scores on the transcript, you also need to determine whether your high school will agree to remove a score from the transcript before providing it to colleges.
Cornell claims it uses your best scores if you submit more tests than required. Its statements on requiring all subject test scores are also somewhat ambiguous and thus one could argue it does not require all subject test scores. If it is of any help, be aware that to date, there has never been a reported case of anyone being rejected for admission because of the failure to provide all test scores from any college that has an all scores rule, despite that such rules have been around since 2009.
Students don’t really study for subject tests apart from taking practice ones. The idea is to take them when you’re taking the subject, which you’re doing. You could also not take any test, as you have the option of taking 0 to 3 on test day, but that would be a waste of the registration fee.
@theloniusmonk if I do really poorly on the test (say around 600) can I just treat it as a practice test and retake it in August? Will taking this make any significant impact on my college application?
Particularly for the UCs- I really want to confirm I can choose to not show a mediocre SAT subject test to the UCs, since I know they require all SATs/ACTs/
@theloniusmonk if I do really poorly on the test (say around 600) can I just treat it as a practice test and retake it in August? Will taking this make any significant impact on my college application?
I wouldn’t treat it as a practice test, most, if not all, of the other people taking the test will be taking it for real. If you’ve done well in the course and know the material, I’m not sure the reason for your concern. If you’re that uncomfortable taking it, I would not take it, and take another subject test or none at all. One subject test won’t make that much difference, esp since you have the 800 in math 2.
Life’s too short to worry about things that may not happen.