<p>Does anybody know if many people still can get into UVA without submitting any SAT subject tests? I know they aren't mandatory, but I assume most people submit them. </p>
<p>I'm a rising senior and I'd rather spend the October date raising my SAT scores before the deadline. Also, I haven't taken any subject tests and have yet to study for them, so I figure my scores wouldn't be great anyway.</p>
<p>this comes up every year… If something is optional, then you should still consider it required. Do you want your decision to come down to whether you showed enough interest to take another test or not? The scores, if above 700, are not a decision factor.</p>
<p>hazelorb, 600s on the SAT IIs are not a “decision factor” either. your response clearly over-emphasizes the importance of SAT IIs.</p>
<p>…Seriously?
Your response under emphasizes the importance of SATIIs. Which, by the way, my post is entirely accurate as far as the past 5-7 years I have been reading this forum supports. 700+ is the accepted range not only at elite publics like UVA but mid to very elite privates. Just do a search, either on this forum or on the UVA placement score guide and you can see why spending $100-$200 on a test is far less expensive than $800/credit OOS on a class at UVA, to get the 700+. If you are not scoring in the top range of that placement test, you are not showing UVA that you are a competitive applicant. Anyways that is my 2cents and I hope no one takes your advice to be passed over by someone who got 100+ points above them on the SATIIs.</p>
<p>novaparent, strongly disagree… I would shot for as high SAT II’s as possible especially if you’re out of state. Completely agree with Hazel.</p>
<p>An applicant to UVA should definitely take two SAT II’s as the university recommends and try to do their best. That being said, I believe I have read on this forum that they can only help you/not hurt you.</p>
<p>^^Or I might have read that on Dean J’s blog…can’t remember which:)</p>
<p>I don’t think SATIIs are a “decision factor” and certainly not a make or break one. Plenty of people get in with scores lower than 700. A friend of DD was accepted without even taking them back in 07.</p>
<p>2007 was a completely different ball game than 2011! Also are you really willing to risk your competitiveness on this??</p>
<p>If a school you love strong recommends something, do your very best to get it done. It gives us another item to consider as we read your file.</p>
<p>You aren’t penalized if you can’t get it done, of course.</p>
<p>So in short, I’m screwed.</p>
<p>@ AH5050 - Not necessarily! Don’t let the SAT2s get the best of you. You can still take the SAT2s in November or December and submit prior to the deadline in early January. If you were planning on applying early in November I would offer that although you would find out earlier, the non-binding EA rarely has an admissions bump that sometimes is seen with binding ED schools. It is simply my opinion, but you may be better off applying RD with SAT2s as opposed to EA without them. You could focus on subjects that you have taken AP classes in your Jr year, where preparation for the AP test often mirrors prep for the SAT subject test. Rather than starting on preparing for a new subject, you would review a subject you have just tested for in May. Many students successfully use this strategy.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you whatever you decide!</p>
<p>So, if a student wants to take the SAT in October and the SAT II’s in November and still apply by the early action date of Nov 1, then the SAT II’s will probably not arrive in time to be considered?</p>
<p>Scores are due November 1 for Early Action.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Applying</a> to U.Va., Admission Information, Undergraduate Admission, U.Va.](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/apply.html]Applying”>http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/apply.html)</p>
<p>I know UVA says that your chances of acceptance are the same whether you apply EA or RD, but this is the first year they have EA so I feel like it could be an advantage. Am I crazy for thinking this way?</p>
<p>We will read the early apps the same way that we read the regular ones. We aren’t going to “read easy” for the early round.</p>
<p>If you are still trying to figure out what tests to take, you may not be ready for EA.</p>
<p>EA is used by colleges to admit very strong candidates, athletes, legacies etc.</p>
<p>
I really have to agree with this. If they have any reason at all to question that you might not be the strongest candidate you may at best be deferred to RD. If your application is going to be stronger in RD for whatever reason (better scores, SAT2s included, upward trend, essay that’s not rushed, etc.) I would highly recommend waiting to submit your strongest possible application. Only students who have their strongest possible app ready to go should be applying EA.</p>
<p>Also remember the response date isn’t until January. You are still going to have to submit other applications. Even if you are admitted early you won’t hear from UVa until January 31, which is later than many EA responses in mid December.</p>
<p>Are OOS applicants viewed more critically? Do they need to show higher SAT2 scores to be competitive for admission? Are two SAT2 > 700 enough to "help an OOS applicant?</p>
<p>Just so I am clear, I’m not suggesting that the OP shouldn’t take the SAT IIs. U-Va “strongly recommends” them, which in my view means that unless you have a very good reason you should take them and submit them if you’re seriously interested in U-Va.</p>
<p>My disagreement is only with hazelorb’s implication that not scoring a 700+ will have a material impact on your application. This is hardly the case for a student with a solid academic record. U-Va clearly cares more about the quality of the high school record than test scores. I’ve had three children (non-URMs from NOVA, even!) get accepted to U-Va (one is there now) and none of the three scored 700+ on any of their SAT IIs – or SAT Is for that matter. But they all had very good high school records. </p>
<p>Dean J has been on record many times that the SAT IIs can only “help” you, and I agree with that. 600s on the SAT IIs will not raise any eyebrows on an application that includes a solid academic record.</p>