<p>I know that Tisch does not require SAT II’s, but will a candidate be at an advantage if they submit them? Similarly, will a candidate be at a disadvantage if they don’t submit. The reason I ask is I don’t believe SAT II’s are required at any of the schools on my D’s list, but I am wondering if she is making a mistake not taking them if they might help her with Tisch. She is not a great standardized test taker but she does well in tests in school and I think has the potential to do well on these tests. Any advice?</p>
<p>Not sure if this is relevant, but my D is a freshman at CAP21 and only submitted her regular SAT scores. In fact, she didn't even take SAT IIs, because none of the BFA programs to which she applied required them. I think this is completely up to you and your daughter. I personally don't think it makes any difference. But perhaps soozievt can comment. I may well be wrong.</p>
<p>Well, I am not Soozie :), but my D is also a freshman at CAP21, who only submitted her regular SAT scores, did not take her SATII, and yet made it into the program, like NMR's D. </p>
<p>She did submit a copy of her college credits however, and, since some of those were obtained at NYU, I do feel that this may have helped counter her not so stellar test scores. </p>
<p>The bottom line, I don't think it hurts to submit good scores, even if they are not required. It just may put an "academic question mark" in a different perspective.</p>
<p>Years ago, when my D was auditioning, she had taken 3 SAT IIs. When the question was asked at the first info session we attended at NYU, more than a year prior, we were told that although NYU didn't require SATIIs (back then, they didn't), they did, in fact, recommend them. The individual who was running the info session made it pretty clear that to do what is recommended is always a good idea. :) Now that NYU requires SAT IIs for everyone except those who will be required to go through an artistic review, perhaps the question should be asked as to whether or not they still recommend them for Tisch applicants.</p>
<p>I looked more carefully at the web site and what it basically says is that they don't require SAT II's of the Tisch candidates because their artistic supplements (audition, portfolio, etc.) make up for those scores. It really doesn't read as if they in any way expect SAT II's and after reading the above posts I don't think there's any reason for me to put my D through more testing. The ACT plus writing is painful enough! Thanks as always for the input.</p>
<p>Back when my D applied, it was as AlwaysAMom wrote....SAT IIs were not required but "recommended." Now, they are simply not required for Tisch applicants. So, for starters, it surely does not hurt to NOT submit SAT II scores for Tisch admissions. You don't need them. </p>
<p>However, if your D does well on them, or in her case, they are even better than her SAT scores, they cannot hurt to send them and can only HELP. They will be seen, even if not required. Also, starting next month, the College Board is going to a Score Choice system. So, your D could take the SAT IIs and decide after she sees her scores, which ones to send, which was not the case when my kids applied to college. </p>
<p>My D took three SAT Subject Tests (one was Writing, which at the time, had not yet been added to the regular SAT test....she took the SATs and the SAT IIs in tenth grade which was 2004 for her). Her other schools (all BFA schools) did not require them. She submitted all SAT and SAT Subject Test scores to her colleges (well, of course you had to submit all or nothing then). I have no way of knowing what the admissions committees thought of her. However, my gut feeling is that her SAT Subject tests, particularly two of them which were extremely high, had to HELP. They surely could not have hurt. Her regular SATs were very good, however, and so that was not an issue. Also, in her case, I feel that since she was applying as a junior in HS, age 16, it couldn't hurt to have shown achievement in those subjects since they only had 2 1/2 years of HS grades to look at. That was not why she took the tests but I am just saying that scores can HELP if they are good, and cannot hurt if they are not since the Subject Tests are NOT required. THey can't take bad SAT II test scores against you as you are not required to submit them and many do not. But given score choice starting in this next cycle, and if your D has good scores (or in her case, perhaps to balance out less than good score on the SAT), perhaps the Subject Tests could help her. The ACT also is a subject test based test. For anyone else, I am not saying you need to take these tests at all but if you do and get a decent score, it is beneficial to submit it.</p>
<p>I have to admit that when my D took the SAT Subject Tests in tenth grade, she signed up as a matter of course for them since her older sister, who was a college applicant at the time, had to take them for the colleges she had applied to. We just assumed that D2 would need these too. Turned out that none of her BFA schools required them and Tisch, back then, recommended them. But she did all of her testing in tenth grade and we were not really examining the required testing on applications at that point.</p>
<p>By the way, your D can take a timed practice Subject Test in any of the subjects she is considering and see how she does before deciding whether to sign up for them. Also, with Score Choice, she has nothing to lose. But if she doesn't want to, she doesn't HAVE to. But you indicated she has a chance to do better on these than the SAT and so it may be advantageous to have some good scores on her record to balance out lower SAT scores (though it can't make up for them, it does add a positive academic piece).</p>
<p>Hmmm...you make some good points, Susan. My D actually asked her guidance counselor who advised her to take them to help her look like the strongest candidate she can. She will be taking the ACT, not the SAT (her practice tests showed that she would do much better on the ACT) so if the SAT II's are not good nobody needs to see them. What we will probably do is have her take a couple but not bother doing any prep. We have a bit of time to figure this out, but right now she has to deal with taking the ACT tomorrow.
Ugh, I am not a fan of these tests, for lots of reasons. But that's for another thread.</p>
<p>Hmmm, I would not be responding quite the same if she is not taking the SAT at all. Usually, it is either a combo of the SAT and SAT Subject Tests or just the ACT w/ Writing (which includes various subjects). If your D does better on the ACT, she should take that over the SAT. I'm not sure she needs the SAT Subject Tests with the ACT though. It is often either/or. </p>
<p>I'm not fond of standardized testing myself. I do think prep/practice can pay off.</p>
<p>However, you have nothing to lose by having her take the different tests and THEN decide if you want to send ACT scores or SAT ones or whichever scores or combos you want to send that are her best ones.</p>
<p>I want to share some new info I just learned yesterday. NYU has substantially revised its standardized testing requirements/options for next year’s applicants. I refer you to their website for all the permutations and combinations. Ostensibly, the reason for the change is to encourage students with lower SAT reasoning test scores to apply to NYU. The effect, however, has been to INCREASE the testing requirements for Tisch and Steinhardt audition or portfolio based applicants. In the past the SAT subject tests were waived for such applicants. Starting this coming year, they are required or two AP exams scores are required in addition to the SAT reasoning test. Again, this is an over simplification because they offer several options, but I can see some surprised seniors next fall realizing they suddenly have to take SAT IIs. I actually spoke with someone in admissions yesterday to be sure I was interpreting the new requirements correctly.</p>
<p>[NYU</a> > Undergraduate Admissions > Applying for Admission > Freshman Applicants > Standardized Tests](<a href=“How to Apply”>How to Apply)</p>
<p>A description of the different options is available there. The new testing requirements were discussed in another thread on the forum a while ago, which I can’t seem to locate at the moment so I thought I’d include this link to assist those of you who will be applying for 2010.</p>
<p>I know that they recommend them, and it is always a good idea to have something that can put yourself above the crowd.</p>