<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I'm not expecting financial aid from USC, and according to the website, it says that SAT 2s are optional but recommended. My question is given that I'll probably applying to Viterbi, I have a 3.9 UW, 30 ACT and other ECs (including a couple (maybe 3) leadership spots, volunteering, sports, etc.) will not having SAT 2s kill me even if I apply early? I've heard USC is rolling, so I was thinking that maybe I could skip SAT 2s and just apply early to make up for it, would that work or what should I do?</p>
<p>USC doesn't really have rolling admissions, they just have an early deadline (December) for applicants who want to be considered for merit scholarships. They do, however, begin to notify applicants of their admission starting in late January and then continue to send out the letters in batches through the end of March. You should definitely apply by the December date but I don't think that has anything to do with SAT 2 scores. I get the impression most kids who apply to USC have taken SAT 2s, probably because the UCs and so many other schools require them . Some high SAT 2 scores could very well help you but mediocre or bad ones won't. Perhaps you should take some practice tests this summer. Are there any subjects, perhaps math or a foreign language, for which you wouldn't have to do special preparation?</p>
<p>math level 1 I could, but see I'm afraid that since I'll be in calc 2 this year (senior year) it would look like I'm being lazy and not taking math 2, but I don't have time to prepare for the level 2 section (like the trig stuff). Are the reading tests supposed to be hard? I could do that, and then maybe 1 science. Is that good enough or what? But also, I'm a bit confused about what you're saying about the SAT 2s for USC. Are you saying that they ARE important or what?</p>
<p>What I am saying is that many of the students you will be competing with for admission will have SAT 2s. Just as the USC website says, they are recommended. If you did not take the regular SAT, you could afford to take some SAT 2s and then wait to submit them only if you do well. Any SAT you take will be on your permanent College Board record so you can't send some and hide some. You could, however, hide them all by simply not sending them. I'm not familiar with which tests would be appropriate for admission to Viterbi, you may be right that Math 1 wouldn't add anything to your application.</p>
<p>Don't let this stress you too much. I'm sure many, many people will apply without SAT 2s also. And if you come from a part of the country where people don't usually take the SATs at all, that might make more sense than a California kid not taking them.</p>
<p>California_love8, I took the Math2 and Chemistry SAT IIs because I needed them for other colleges. I submitted them to USC because they were on my score report with my SAT I. I remember the Math2 test being extremely easy. I took it after my junior year when I took Calc 1. The trigonometry on it was soooo easy. If you know the unit circle and the basic formulas, you'll do fine. I got a 780 and didn't even review for it, and I had taken trigonometry my sophomore year. If I were you I'd take the Math Level 2 test and probably a science test (physics would probably be good for engineering). Only take the science test if you've taken an AP science class in that subject. I got a 720 after taking AP Chem, and I would have done awful if I had taken it after Honors Chem. </p>
<p>Remember that it is just a recommendation, it's not required. I would take them because if you decide to apply to other schools that do require the SAT 2 tests, you don't want to be scrambling to take them in November. That will just add a lot of unnecessary stress to your life.</p>
<p>well see I did terrible on the SAT (1900), and since my ACT is average at best, I want to hide my poor SAT by not taking SAT 2s as much as possible you see?</p>
<p>Ah...... I see. Are you going to retake the SAT? I retook mine in January after a less than ideal score on the June SAT. I improved by 140 points, and USC will superscore all your tests so that your score is a lot better.</p>
<p>well I've done a ton of SAT practice tests (literally around 8 or more (not less)) and I really am having trouble surpassing that 1900-2000 boundary no matter what. So I've pretty much given up on the SAT. And my ACT score is supposed to be decent (even for USC), so I thought it would be good enough, but yeah.</p>
<p>I feel bad that you sound discouraged. Why don't you just call the admissions office and ask how many of last year's applicants had SAT 2 scores. You might find out that the number isn't as high as it seems from reading CC posts. Again, my experience is in California where everybody seems to take lots of SATs. At our high school kids routinely take them starting at the end of the 10th grade. You're right that your ACT score is good, that wasn't ever the question. And 1900 isn't a bad SAT score either.</p>
<p>My son is going to USC this fall and he did not take any SAT 2 tests. He only took the SAT to qualify as a NMF. His ACT was 32. We are in a ACT area though and few take the SAT or the SAT 2 tests anyway.</p>
<p>I know someone from back East who was offered a large scholarship by Viterbi who didn't take any SAT2's -- but she was an absolutely top-flight candidate, #1 student in a large H.S., near-perfect SAT and ACT. (She ultimately chose Notre Dame.)</p>
<p>My daughter here in CA took 3 SAT2's -- because they are required by the UC campuses and to be more competitive with other USC students. She found them pretty easy and I think her high scores helped.</p>
<p>It's a tough call, but generally the more good scores you can put in front of the admissions office, the better off you're likely to be. If you're not sure about submitting the SAT, you might want to sign up for one SAT2 to start with and see how it goes. If it goes well, you might want to go ahead and send the SAT scores since you'll have the ACT to add to the picture too.</p>