<p>My DD is a B student who will be applying to small liberal arts colleges (CTCL and the like). So far, I am not seeing that any of her schools require SAT II subject tests -- all will take the ACT in its place. She's still looking, though.</p>
<p>I'm trying to decide if she even needs to take these tests? Of course, if she does, June would be the time, and we're already late! I'd appreciate any info, resources or personal experiences. Thanks!</p>
<p>Both of my kids attended big state u’s. Neither of their schools required SAT II subject tests.</p>
<p>Thanks PackMom. I’m starting to feel like this is one more way (possibly unnecessary) that College Board is trying to separate me from my money. Plus my DD is getting test weary…it’s one more thing, and if she doesn’t have to do it, that would be great.</p>
<p>Some schools require SATIIs, and have done so for many decades. We took them when I graduated from HS in 1971. It is nothing new, and not some kind of plot on the part of the College Board. Your D can skip them, but it may limit her choices. If that is okay with her, fine. Do note that if any of the schools on her list “recommend” them, conventional wisdom says that to maximize admission chances one should assume that recommend=require. </p>
<p>Of course, as soon as I say that, I know that people will pop up and report that THEIR kid was admitted without the recommended SATIIs. And yours might be too. But I personally wouldn’t take the chance if the school in question was one my kid really wanted to attend. YMMV</p>
<p>It depends on where she will apply, of course. We don’t know where DS will apply, but several on his potential list do require them, so he took 3 yesterday. I just did a Google search on which colleges require subject tests and this is the first site that came up: <a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/a/sat-subject-test-required.htm[/url]”>http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/a/sat-subject-test-required.htm</a></p>
<p>Thanks, I know they’re not new…I took them, too 
I’m simply poking fun at this crazy process.</p>
<p>I just haven’t found a school on DD’s list yet that requires or recommends them. If they were even recommended, then certainly she would take them. So far, every school I’ve looked up is “ACT or SAT II required” and she’s taken the ACT.</p>
<p>I’m just wondering if they’re going the way of the dinosaur. DD’s guidance counselor was very wishy-washy about whether they were necessary, so I’m curious to hear the opinions and experiences of others.</p>
<p>Also, any good resources for looking this up quickly? It is taking forever to check our lengthy list of schools individually. Thanks.</p>
<p>Thanks Beady, I saw that list and it confirms what I have found so far, which is that only the tippy top schools seem to require them.</p>
<p>I would take “ACT with writing or SATII required” to mean that she ought to take a couple of SATIIs. If you meant “ACT or SAT,” then she doesn’t need to.</p>
<p>Something else to consider is whether they will strengthen her application. If she could present a couple of scores that would be better than her ACT and/or GPA, or answer some potential concern about her preparation, that might be helpful. She could take a practice test in whatever subjects she might consider, and see how she does. If she doesn’t seem to be prepared and doesn’t want to take time studying for the test, then just forget it.</p>
<p>Just make sure you are not going to be saying coulda, shoulda, woulda after the fact. :)</p>
<p>Thanks Consolation, you make some good points. I wish my daughter was not the type to look up schools and say “it’s not required, so I don’t have to take it.” I may have to convince her otherwise…strengthening the app is a good argument.</p>
<p>SAT II</p>
<p>In addition to schools that require it (which are few and often the elites), consider the grade scaling at your school.</p>
<p>Our high school does not have grade inflation for A and B students; they do have inflation for those on the low end. The result is many kids wind up with Bs and Cs. For a school like ours, a solid score on the SAT II shows a B student has a mastery of the subject as compared to the A student from a neighboring school where grade inflation is rampant.</p>
<p>IMHO – If you use the SAT II for schools that do not require it, understand the purpose you want it to serve to strengthen the application.</p>
<p>I think taking the SAT Subject tests is only useful for students aiming at tippy top schools. You say your D is a B student, so I don’t think it is needed. It sounds like you’ve already done what I would advise - take a look at the requirements for the types of schools she will be interested in applying to, to find out if any of them require Subject tests. If not, why bother? Let her devote her efforts to more useful activities - getting an early start on essays, lining of teacher recommendations, working a summer job, etc.</p>
<p>My S was aiming at highly selective schools so he took 2 subjects tests in June of his junior year. My D wasn’t aiming as high, so she decided against taking any subject tests, since none of the schools she was looking at required them, and she was burnt out with testing, between PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams junior year.</p>
<p>I highly doubt your D will need the SATIIs and if she took the ACT with writing will most likely be fine for her college apps. It’s always a good idea to double check, but there are very few colleges left that require them.</p>
<p>If she is expected to do well take it or else don’t bother. Not required does not always mean having a good score wont make her app little more competitive at schools that don’t need one.</p>
<p>Schools like Chicago and Stanford don’t need any. Since most of their competitors need one, kids applying will have the scores ready.</p>
<p>Thanks, lots of good thoughts to consider.</p>
<p>I know she would do very well on Literature, and she could also do well on US History and Spanish. Math is another story, and if she takes them I assume schools would look for math among her scores. If she skips math, I wonder if that would count against her. She’s better at math than she thinks but lacks confidence.</p>
<p>i should mention that her school does not engage in grade inflation (hers is a large and diverse urban high school), but all the small town schools in the area definitely do.</p>
<p>If she wants to take US History, do it now since it is too much to remember again in October. May be Spanish too if she is not doing Spanish next year.</p>
<p>If she is not planning on majoring in STEM, no one will hold it against her if she is not taking a Math test. She can take a practice test to see how well she is doing.</p>
<p>She doesn’t HAVE to take math, and I don’t think it would count against her, unless she has poor math grades, a poor math SAT/ACT, and touts herself as a future engineer or something very quantitative. But if she does, Math II would be preferable. (Math I is noted for its nasty curve.)</p>
<p>The best thing is for her to try a practice test and see how she does. If you can persuade her to do it. Remember, it only takes an hour!</p>
<p>crossposted with texaspg</p>
<p>In my day, we took the subject tests to show how well-rounded we were. I took the writing (not then part of the SAT I), French and biology tests even though I was definitely <em>not</em> going to major in either of the latter. </p>
<p>Now kids take the tests in their strongest subjects. S took math II and physics. He had to take a third SAT II (only for Princeton) and opted to take world history. That was six years ago, and many colleges now offer more choice about testing, for example, submitting AP scores instead of SAT IIs. S would have been happy to do that. It did seem like overkill (and expensive) to be taking APs and SAT IIs in the same subjects. </p>
<p>D is a B student and didn’t take any SAT IIs. She will attend the one school on her list that said the SAT II would be “considered” as part of her app. Obviously, they decided that they had enough info about her not to need it.</p>
<p>LisaK - I have one of those ‘if it’s not required I don’t have to do it’ kids, too. LOL. But I did talk her into the SAT II’s. For one thing, if they’ve just taken the class, it’s pretty easy to do a good job if the kid tests well.</p>
<p>For another, unless a school discourages sending them, I don’t think it ever hurts to have a good - great score reported. It does show the kid went the extra mile and maybe has something higher in their sights, perhaps making them more attractive. And I have no way to substantiate that, it’s just how I would look at it if I were trying to sort out candidates.</p>
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<p>Some schools are SAT/ACT optional. Just another way College Board is trying to separate you from your money.</p>
<p>If the schools doesn’t ask for it, then don’t take the test. I had my kids take them from freshmen year as they completed classes (biology, us history, etc.), just in case the school they applied to required them. Most, but not all, of the schools my kids applied to requested the SAT II tests.</p>
<p>I am of the mindset that, “It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” If your dd is wrapping up some classes that mesh well with some SATII subjects, I would have her take them in June. True, she may not need them, but you never know. She may add a school in the fall that “recommends” them. You don’t want to be scrambling around in the fall trying to get them done while working on apps. Just my $0.02.</p>