<p>My son has only take one subject test, Math II, and got an excellent score on it (slightly higher than his SAT I Math or ACT Math equivalent).</p>
<p>None of the schools he is applying to require subject tests. Most either don't mention them or say outright that they don't consider them.</p>
<p>His ACT is higher than his SAT according to the concordance tables, so I was thinking for schools that don't request all test results, and don't apparently care about the SAT subject test, we could save the money and not send official SAT results at all. But the SAT II score is worth sending if they'll look at it. </p>
<p>What do you think? Do the schools that claim not to want it or don't mention it (examples: RIT, Northeastern, Drexel, UMDCP, etc.) look at it at all if it helps the application? What about for merit aid? (The schools on my examples on the list are based on last year's research -- will certainly re-check each school's site before making a final decision.)</p>
<p>If they don’t want it, don’t send it. It will actually work against you when you annoy the admission counselors.If they don’t say, then it can’t hurt to send it.</p>
<p>^^ I agree. As your son’s ACT Test is higher, it’s a complete waste of money to send the SAT Subject Test when the colleges he is applying to will not use the SAT Subject Test as a factor in admissions. With regards to Merit Scholarships, I imagine you will need to check the requirements of each scholarship available at all of his schools to see if any requires the SAT Subject test – but in terms of admissions, if they don’t want it, don’t send it.</p>
<p>If you can find the school’s common data set or if they use common app, you can find out if they will look at subject tests without having to call and ask when it isn’t clear from admissions page.</p>
<p>In the common data set it’s item C8. Northeastern, for example, checks ‘consider if submitted’ for SAT2.</p>
<p>Drexel and RIT don’t seem to make their CDS public, but both are on common app. When you do a college search, click on ‘admissions’ and scroll down to ‘testing options.’ Both of these schools say SAT2 are ‘optional’, which is the same as ‘consider if submitted.’ If the line item is left blank, that means they won’t even look at it.</p>
<p>For schools like UMDCP which don’t make CDS public and aren’t on common app, not sure. You could callor e-mail to ask. Or I noticed that UMDBC is on common app and they say ‘optional’ so you could guess UMDCP might be the same.</p>
<p>If it’s a strong score send it. Admissions is likely to take notice. They are looking for reasons to “accept”. This applies to all aspects of your son’s application. Stress the exceptional.</p>
<p>He is one of the 15% with an 800 on the SAT II Math. His ACT Math was “only” 34 and his SATI Math was 760. ACT composite was 35; SAT total 2160. </p>
<p>What would you send? I was leaning toward ACT + SAT II. The SAT I doesn’t add anything to the picture. But if they’re really going to completely ignore the SAT II, I’d be happy to save the $11 x 6 or so schools that don’t mention it at all on their standardized testing page. Even for schools that do consider the SAT II but don’t require all scores, I’m inclined to skip the SAT I.</p>
<p>I’ll take celesteroberts’ advice and check for the common data sets.</p>
<p>celesteroberts thanks for doing much of the “homework” for me. UMDCP says “all official standardized test scores scores” on their admissions checklist for freshmen, so we need to call them anyhow, and ask if they really want all scores, or if that just means all the scores you want to submit must be submitted via an official score report. If they really require all scores, that makes what they’ll actually consider moot.</p>
<p>Save the money. With a 35 composite, there is no way that an 800 will make any difference to UMD admissions (unless applying to the Engineering program.)</p>
<p>For schools on your top priority list, it may be wise to spend that $11 although it is not necessary. But probably not sending it to all schools that do not need it.</p>
<p>^^ The College Board has set the default to automatically send all your SAT I scores and SAT II Subject Test scores to colleges. A student who wants to use Score Choice must select the option button “Choose Scores” to activate Score Choice and select the scores that s/he wants to send colleges.</p>
<p>I would vote to save the money as well. If a school he applies to isn’t impressed with his 35 (because all applicants have high test scores), then they won’t be impressed with the SAT II.</p>
<p>Remember that the 34 on the Math subscore is still in the 99% percentile. You are splitting hairs when your score is at that level.</p>
<p>^^ That’s my feeling as well. My daughter got into Harvard with a 34 ACT . . . so, what’s not to like with a 35! But since the OP’s son wants to . . . just send the extra SAT Subject test and be done with it. It’s not worth all the back-and-forth.</p>
<p>He is applying to the Engineering college at each of his schools, and is looking for merit aid. He’s not applying to any super-reaches, so I think he’ll get in everywhere or almost everywhere he’s applying, but he needs to put his best foot forward for merit.</p>
<p>I guess the obvious answer is that schools where the merit is automatic based on other stats or NM status won’t need the SAT II, and schools where merit is competitive, we should probably send it.</p>
<p>I should add that his scores are his strength. His GPA is less exceptional (3.6ish), class rank is barely top 10%, and his ECs / community service / leadership are pretty minimal. But he sure tests well.</p>
<p>If it is really his top choice of school, I would not save that $11. At least you would not regret you did not send the score if it ends up rejected. I actually have asked the same question in a different forum regarding getting merit aid from another school. I also got responses in both side. I know it is not a problem for admission, but it may give you a slight edge when they are looking at 2 similar candidates for merit aid. At the end, I decided to pay for that $11 just to get that worry away. I would not pay for every school that do not require it though as that $11 adds up.</p>
<p>Choosing not to send exceptional scores in relevant standardized tests to “save” less than a total of $100 is a mix of over-thinking the relatively simple concept of selling yourself and blatant false economy.</p>
<p>Everyone needs to draw the line somewhere on spending when it comes to college admissions; each family is likely to have a different opinion on where that line should be.</p>
<p>$100 to send additional scores sounds relatively minor to add some peace of mind even if it accomplishes little. But why stop there - a student only gets to apply once to college, so a reasonable person might decide to send in another half dozen applications. After all, that is only another few hundred dollars. Wait, that means another set of test scores must be sent and another $100 for both the SAT and ACT. And don’t forget to add those schools to the financial aid applications for another hundred bucks.</p>
<p>Why not take the SAT and ACT a few more times in the fall? That would only add a couple hundred. If we are doing that, why not squeeze in another test prep class for a few hundred more.</p>
<p>This is a major life decision, so applicants should try to add one or two more college visits, especially since it probably costs less than a thousand dollars. This will also demonstrate interest which could help in admission.</p>
<p>Some professional admissions counselors have proven quite successful - and you get what you pay for. Why not drop a few thousand to obtain the services of someone who has an impressive track record with candidates.</p>
<p>It is so easy for costs to spiral out of control. Few families have unlimited budgets. If an optional expense is almost certain to have a negligible impact on admissions, it seems easy to decide to save the money for tuition.</p>