<p>" Most schools seem to want them, though not all require them" Very few schools want them. Fewer require them.</p>
<p>'Harvard only took people with a 2400/2400 in the SAT reasoning from my country. The situation was similar last year aswell. Is this only a correlation or truly a prerequisite? I cannot fathom how 2-3 questions can determine the fate of a student." International students have the hardest go at schools like Harvard. They can pick between dozens of super applicants – especially from India. I’m sure if there was a compelling story from a person who scored less than 2400, he or she would have been chosen. 2 or 3 questions will NOT determine the fate and I think the correlation is coincidence only, IMHO.</p>
<p>"Also, are triple 800’s in subject tests rare/ give you a leg up? " The answer should be obvious. They are rare.</p>