SAT Subject Tests

I am a rising senior planning on apply to Georgetown in the fall. I know that the university “strongly recommends” taking three SAT subject tests, so I took the Literature (740), US History (750), and Biology E (620) tests. I had not taken Biology in a few years and did not study adequately for the exam, so I feel as though I could score higher if I took the exam again, however this costs money.

My questions are:

  1. How much would one low subject test score effect my admissions?
  2. Would taking the subject test again improve how the admissions committee considers my application? Is it worth taking again?
  3. Are my other scores competitive?
  1. You're competing against applicants with incredible scores, in addition to all around incredible applications. It doesn't disqualify you immediately, but obviously it's not ideal.
  2. It's a question of opportunity cost. Of the schools that required SAT IIs from me, I got into Williams and Tufts with a 620 on Bio M (somehow...) so obviously it's still possible to get in with it. However, if you could take another and get a 740+ on it, that would help allay the concerns that a 620 might plant in their minds. However, if it comes at the cost of your essays or senior year grades, then it's most certainly not worth it.
  3. Yes, Your Lit and Hist scores are fine.

It’s not a complete deal breaker. Your essays and ECs and transcript are INFINITELY more important, so focus on those. It’s Georgetown though, so the odds are automatically against everyone. Good luck to you!

@Senior2016M thank you for answering! I think I will take the test again because I would like to appear slightly more well rounded. I understand that I am applying against amazing applicants but I am trying to remain optimistic.

Wouldn’t bother retaking it, especially if you’re not a science major.