SAT subject tests in college admissions

If a college requires you to send all sat subject test scores, will they look at your highest scores? Is it ok if I did badly on my first try, but improved significantly on the second?

Unless anything has changed, you don’t have to send all your scores, unless they were taken on the same day. If you want to send a great Spanish score and you did terrible on the Math 2 test that you took the same day, either they both go or neither one goes. Most colleges will look at the best score, though.

Nope, you can pick and choose which Subject Test scores to send even if taken on the same day. Some colleges though (although very few) require all scores to be sent. In which case, they will focus on the higher score.

As to taking two tests on the same day, if you use the free send option in your test application and identify colleges to receive the scores upon release, both tests will be sent. For any send done after you receive the scores,you can send one and withhold the other.

There are only two colleges in the nation that require you to provide all subject test scores. One is Georgetown and it wants three subject tests. The other is Cornell and it requires two and whether you are required to actually provide all is somewhat ambiguous. Both those colleges will use the highest scores to determine admission if you submit more subject tests than needed.

Correct; thanks for clarifying @drusba

Old rules… sorry. I had a feeling they had been updated. Colleges will look at the highest, though.

There was a thread here that listed the very few schools that require all subject tests. Unfortunately, I can’t find it. It is a different and much smaller list than the schools that require all SAT and ACT scores.

@drusba is the author of that thread, and answered the question above. But here is the thread:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/1912440-must-you-submit-all-sat-act-or-sat-subject-test-scores.html#latest

Drusba, when I read Cornell’s SAT subject test policy, it says two of your choice if your school requires it. Although they don’t participate in score choice, don’t most people interpret this to mean you don’t have to send ALL scores just for the subject tests? Thanks!

^As I noted Cornell seems ambiguous on whether it actually requires all subject test scores. What it appears to be saying is that you need not submit any unless the particular college requires subject tests (A&S and engineering do require them) but if required you might have to submt all. There are other statements made elsewhere on the site that say all subject tests should be sent but those were put on the site before last year and may or may not be Cornell’s actual rule today, see, e.g., https://blogs.cornell.edu/admissions/2011/10/19/the-faqs-of-sats-and-acts/ and the answer given there to the question, “Does Cornell Participate in Score Choice?”

My interpretation is that all Subject Tests are not required to be sent. But as I always suggest: if you are interested in Cornell, Call/email them and get clarification. Don’t assume.