Are SAT subject tests required to apply to CMU? I would probably be applying for Econ.
The internet is your friend: https://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/standardized-test-requirements
Google is your friend. https://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/standardized-test-requirements
If anything is unclear on the website, contact admissions and ask.
Going forward please do some basic research on your own before asking a question on CC. It is a good habit not only for your college search (you will get the answer faster) but it will be important once you get to college.
@ThinkOn @happy1 yes I have read that page, I wanted to know if anyone had further insight on what exactly “recommended” means in regards to admission. I know they say that they will rely on class rigor and other factors if you don’t take SAT subjects, but I wanted to know if they really meant that/if not taking subjects are a big negative on an application. I should have been more specific in asking my question
I heard an admission officer from a very competitive school (not CMU so this is general, not school specific information) say that they changed the SAT II’s from required to recommended to make the school more accessible to: 1) people who have trouble paying for the test and 2) people who live in an area where they cannot reasonably get to a testing site. If you don’t fall into one of these categories and you are applying to competitive colleges, I suggest you take the recommended exams if it is possible to do so.(similar to why you complete any “optional” extra essays) You can be sure that many applicants will have all of the recommended pieces of the application completed.
@happy1 okay that’s very good to know thank you for the information!
SAT subject tests are notoriously high scoring. A lot of schools are removing the requirements for the subject tests because they don’t really help them differentiate between students since the scores tend to mostly be clustered very near 800.
That said you should probably have high 700s on each of the tests to be competitive. If you don’t have those scores and a school doesn’t absolutely require them it might be best not to submit. I agree with Happy1 that if the tests are recommended and you have high 700s then you should submit them just because there will be many other applicants that will submit their scores. It probably doesn’t count for very much but with <<20% acceptances at many schools any little bit that you can add in your favor is worth doing.