<p>So this year I took AP US and AP Bio (and AP stat but not important) and i took the sat2s in those subjects (and math 1c...again not important) and I got 800 on both. At the same time, though, i know allot of kids who study hard and do really well on those tests after taking less rigorous classes.</p>
<p>My question is: since i took AP classes which teach the subject at a very high level are colleges just going to take for granted that i did well on these tests?</p>
<p>don't know about Bio, but the SAT II US test was definitely harder than the AP (at least for the multiple choice part). Congrats on your 800s :)</p>
<p>well i hope the colleges dig it</p>
<p>Some schools use SAT scores for placement. You can test out of a class with an SAT II score like with an AP test. Check the policy the school you're applying to has.</p>
<p>To be honest with you, SAT II's don't matter as much as SAT and GPA do. That's because only the very top schools require SAT II's, and for the majority of colleges out there, it's not even mandated for you to take it.</p>
<p>SAT II's serve as a measure of how well you mastered the material--if you got an A in AP Spanish yet score a 590 on the Spanish SAT II, hypothetically speaking, then the admissions officer will have a sense of the value of that A. On the other hand, if you got a B in AP Chemistry yet got an 800 on the SAT II, it really puts into context the value of the B, as well. </p>
<p>In contrast to the SAT which is simply a reasoning test and doesn't test core, concrete material and information, the SAT II's are very straightforward and easy to prep for--I believe, personally, they are a better indicator of your success for a particular course. </p>
<p>I did very well on the SAT but mediocrely so on the SAT II's (in comparison to my applicant peers), yet went through the admissions process just fine. </p>
<p>Bottom line is, the SAT II scores just put into context how well you master the material and serve as a good contrast versus your transcript grades in those subjects.</p>
<p>However, that isn't to say for you to blow off the SAT II's, of course, but just keep in mind SAT and GPA are the big titans in the admissions process, and SAT II's don't really come into play that much.</p>
<p>I dont get why the SAT Is should weigh more heavily than the SAT IIs, the latter really shows what you know and what you don't.</p>
<p>Schools that use what is called an academic index for admissions uses generally average 5-6 SAT test scores including the 3 parts of the SAT1 and the highest SAT2 test scores. The ivies are schools that do this. The UC schools also hold the SAT2s in high importance. How the SAT2 figures in other schools that want them, I do not know. As for schools that do not ask for the SAT2, they are just additional pieces of info that can back up grades, curriculum difficulty, etc.</p>
<p>Though my oldest son did not need SAT2s for a number of his schools, his college counselor at HS felt that his high scores in those subject tests were going to be a definite plus.</p>
<p>"I dont get why the SAT Is should weigh more heavily than the SAT IIs, the latter really shows what you know and what you don't."</p>
<p>Disagree. SAT tests (or at least tries to test) natural logic "reasoning" ability, whereas SAT IIs are generally much more memorization-based, easy to cram before the test but easy to forget immediately afterward.</p>