<p>My daughter just got her SAT 2 Bio (Ecology) back, the score is 730 (83%). She took the SAT2 right after she finished the honor Biology in freshman year. We are wondering if she should re-take for a better score to meet top-tier school standards (she is interested in Princeton, Stanford for example). If higher score is needed, then she may want to retake the test after AP Bio in Junior; if not needed, she will take a difference approach then.</p>
<p>I have read that someone suggested that 700+ should be considered a very good score for the SAT2 bio taken in freshman year, since she is competing with junior students who took the test after AP Bio. Does college admission consider the year of taking SAT2 for student admission?</p>
<p>I don’t really think they consider the year. My younger son got a similar score after taking AP Bio - it got him into Tufts and U of Chicago, but not to even more selective schools. However I think it was much more like that his grades and rank were the issue than his SAT subject tests. If I were her, I’d take the SAT Bio again in May of her AP year - she won’t have to do any extra studying as she’ll have just studied for the AP. It’s probably a good enough score, but I think there’s an excellent chance she’ll have an even better score junior year.</p>
<p>Thank you for sharing your experience. It is very helpful.</p>
<p>I think the situation is that if this score taken in freshman is good enough, then she probably won’t take AP bio in junior, may choose something else. Versus, if the college admin (suas as Pinceton) has to see a 750+ score no matter which high school year the SAT 2 test was taken, then she has to re-take. This will decide her course choice in junior year.</p>
<p>Actually, I also heard that a student has to achieve high score in SAT, SAT subjects, school grades, plus hours of community service, leadership, and nationally ranking recogniation in music, science, math, etc, then he/she can have the chance to be admitted to top tier schools (such as Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, etc).</p>
<p>You are right, SAT subject test is only a small portion of that weighing factor. Thanks again.</p>
<p>For the future, I generally recommend taking Subject tests after the corresponding AP class or precalc for the Math 2. Subject tests are not as comprehensive as AP tests and usually don’t require extra prep beyond what is needed for the AP test.</p>
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<p>One thing that’s missing in your list is course rigor. Selective colleges are looking for students who challenge themselves, taking the most difficult courses in their HS and often also taking college classes as well. Depending on what your D is interested in and what other courses are offered at her HS, she may want to take AP Bio, independent of the Subject test score.</p>
<p>CC is littered with regretful posts from kids who did what they thought they needed to do to get into a prestigious school and didn’t get the acceptances they wanted. Just make sure your D is doing all these things because she wants to, not because she thinks it will get her into a “good” college.</p>
<p>colleges only care about the score, not when you take the test (since that is totally in your control). It goes without saying of course, the higher the better. </p>
<p>730 is an excellent score, but likely below P’ton’s median. If she is taking AP Bio as a Junior, definitely retake in May. (800 just looks better - lol)</p>
<p>I don’t think your daughter should feel obligated to take AP Bio as a junior just to try to bring up this Subject Test score.</p>
<p>If she wants to take AP Bio then, great. And she should take the Subject Test in May or June of that year. She will probably bring up her score with no effort.</p>
<p>However, if she chooses not to take AP Bio or if she ends up taking it senior year, it’s no big deal. She can use the 730 (which is an OK but not spectacular score for applicants to top schools) or she can take two other Subject Tests. She only needs two, and if she has more than two, colleges care primarily about the two highest scores.</p>
<p>Also, don’t take the percentiles for SAT Subject Tests too seriously. The kids who take these tests tend to be a pretty qualified group. To be in the 83rd percentile among this group is not a bad thing at all.</p>
<p>Good point that she may well get great scores in other subject tests. Both my kids got fabulous scores on APUSH even though only one of them likes history. And most kids will at least try the Math 2 subject test. She may not even need the science score. I agree don’t worry about the percentiles. The percentile for an 800 on Math 2 is “only” 91! :eek:</p>
<p>Rather than retaking Biology-E, she can take Biology-M (Molecular) after AP Biology. It will show the breadth of her knowledge, especially if she wants to major in life sciences.</p>
<p>Since your D just completed freshman year, much is unknown. Her PSAT scores, for example, and SATs, which will be more important that the SAT2 subject score. But 730 is really a pretty good score. Anthing over 700 will be a plus for an application.</p>
<p>If she decides to retake later, Bio-M has a more forgiving curve than Bio-E. Agree with the suggestion above to take Bio-M.</p>
<p>Not really. Moreover, colleges won’t care. With the exception of the language scores taken by native speakers, a 730 is a 730 is a 730. For ST’s, one should take whatever they can score highest in.</p>
<p>btw: if she does want to take AP Bio during junior year, consider AP Enviro as well. It’s not a difficult double, and the fact is that Enviro is nothing more than a subset of Bio. Win-Win. (I predict an 800.)</p>
<p>But as Marian notes, only take AP Bio because she wants to or it fits into here schedule. Other AP sciences (Chem or Physics) are also great.</p>
<p>She may not be interested in science major in college, what other subject tests would you recommend? So college only takes the two highest SAT 2 scores?</p>
<p>Take a practice test in Math 2 when she takes pre-calc and see what her projected score will be. If she takes APUSH she should definitely take the US history SAT. If she’s good at English consider the Lit SAT (but definitely try it out). If she takes AP Physics B the Physics SAT is fine whether or not she’s interested in science. (Physics C is not nearly good a fit.) AP Chem I assume works with the Chem SAT, I wouldn’t know though as neither of my kids took it. My non science kid took Math 2 (but didn’t like his score) so he submitted US History, Lit and both Biology E and M. (I don’t think he got any brownie points for doing both - he just figured as long as he was in the room retaking SAT subject tests because he didn’t like his math score, he might as well try the other version of Biology. His score was either 10 points more or less than the previous time. Older science guy took Math 2, Physics and US History.</p>