Hi everyone,
Would you recommend that I take the literature SAT Subject Test or Math II? I would say that I am sufficiently good at both, and I am not confident about either over the other. I am just wondering what, objectively, looks better on college applications. Supposing I get a good score, what would hold more weight? Math II or Literature? I am leaning towards the biomedical sciences as a major, if that makes any difference.
Thank you for your help!
Scared IB Student
Aside from specific engineering programs that require a math and science subject test, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter as it appears those schools that do require and/or recommend them will consider the top 2 scores.
Do you have another Subject Test under your belt? If so and it’s humanities based, Math II might be the way to go. I don’t think either one holds more weight. The one that will hold more weight is the one that you will get the higher score on.
Have you considered taking them both in one sitting and seeing which one you do better on?
Math II probably, but I would take both and prepare for both with books like Princeton Review and Barrons.
Take both. One of my kids with a slightly soft GPA took both and got 800 on each. She studied for Math II a fair amount, but just glanced over a prep book for Lit (she is an avid reader and naturally very good at Lit). I think those subject tests helped propel her to some very good admissions results. I feel like the colleges were impressed with strong scores in widely varying subjects. It is much more common for students to stick more to one side of the academic spectrum.
You can take up to 3 on a single test date. And schools that require or recommend them usually want 2 (Georgetown wants 3, not sure who else might). So do both.
@ThinkOn I have not taken any yet, but I will take the Biology Subject Test. I haven’t considered taking them both yet, and I will consider it now. Thank you for your help!
@sattut Thank you!
@intparent Thank you for your advice!
Is there any way to send one SAT II score from a test date with two SAT II scores? I think no but want to be sure.
If the school allows score choice for SAT Subject tests, that I don’t see why that can’t be done.
If the school does not allow score choice, then it doesn’t matter in what sitting the subject test was taking…all scores must be submitted.
To update my own question: Yes, you can send one SAT II score from a single date, even if you took more than one on that date. I was able to select from the same test date the lit but not the math to be sent to school.