Hello, I will be applying ED to Princeton.
My academic stats are pretty strong, except for my SAT II Subject Tests, which I haven’t been able to devote much time to studying for.
Class rank: 11/675
AP Scores: Bio (4), Chem (4), Euro (5), US His (5), Lang (5), Calc AB (5)
Ist SAT attempt: 1450 / 8,6,8 essay
2nd SAT attempt: 1540 / no essay
W accum GPA: 4.28
UW accum GPA: 3.95
As for my subject test scores, I recently retook a couple and while my scores have improved, I would like to know if they are high enough not to bring down my academic profile. I know subject tests scores are recommended, but I don’t want to raise any questions with the admissions officers. I won’t be applying for an engineering or math major; probably one more focused toward the humanities or public affairs (not sure yet!).
Subject Tests:
Lit - 760
Math II - 750
I also took one for chem and got a 700, which I already don’t plan on sending in.
Thanks in advance!
According to the College Board, a 760 in Lit places you in the 93rd percentile. That’s pretty darn good. A 750 on the math II test puts you in the 58th percentile. I was shocked to see that more than 20% of those taking the math II subject test score 800. Last year, approximately 150,000 students took the math II test. A 700 in chem is about average.
The question I would ask is “does a 58th percentile in Math II” help your application or hurt it? If it doesn’t help it, why send it right? Seems like common sense to me…
It is important to understand that for several subjects, the percentiles are depressed because so few colleges request Subject Tests, that the ones that do are the ultra selective ones. As a result, it is the high achieving kids taking the tests. No AO is sitting on the floor cross-referencing scores with percentiles. Unless the kid is applying to MIT or Caltech were most applicants have an 800 on M2, a 750 is not the reason the kid gets rejected, if that happens.
Additionally, I’m of the opinion that one should send zero or two Subject Test scores, because very very few people only take one Subject Test, and sending only one looks like the applicant is hiding a score - which in this case would be accurate…
Agree with ski’s points above, adding if subject tests are ‘recommended’, (which is what Princeton says) that means required for most students. First goal is to meet application requirements…even if a score is relatively low, and how low is debatable, but certainly 700+ scores should be sent in many, probably most, instances, and percentiles ignored.
The advice about percentiles is misleading, and could lead a student to make a poor choice…such as preparing for and taking subject tests again when that is not necessary, as in OP’s case.
Students can typically spend their time in more beneficial ways than re-sitting for subject tests once they are in fall of senior year.
Who do you think is your competition at these selective colleges? The same kids scoring in the 80th and 90th percentiles in subject tests. Isn’t this the reason that some colleges “highly recommend” subject tests. If they don’t care at all about the subject test score and they are not going to be used to compare applicant to applicant, then why even ask for them?
You treat this aspect of the application as if it’s a “check the box”, applicant took 2 subject tests and adcom can move on to other areas of the application. Scores and percentiles have to matter. How much it matters is the real question.
Let’s put it this way, if I am seeing most STEM applicants with an 800 Math II and someone submits a 740 that doesn’t look good. College acceptance is a competition and scores matter.
Please tell me the score that one needs to get a 90th percentile in Math 2?
After a certain point, it is “check the box.” And that certain point, IMO is 750 for most colleges. A 750 in M2 for MIT may not cut it (although MIT admissions says differently), for almost every other college, the difference between a 750 and a 770 is pretty meaningless.
Well, you’re not an AO for starters, and scores are just one part of the package. And even amongst the various score components, Subject Tests are less important that GPA and SAT/ACT, IMO. And the OP does not have a 740, so thank you for derailing the thread. So getting back to the OP, will s/he be accepted to Princeton with Subject Test scores of 750 and 760? Odds are no, since Princeton rejects 94% of applicants. Will omitting the scores result in a different outcome? Probably not. Will having 800/800 make a difference? Probably not. But feel free to believe what you want to believe, and I will do the same.