Question for those more experienced: how important is it for my son to take subject tests along with the ‘regular’ SAT? He’s currently a HS junior, got a 1420 on his first SAT attempt, and now is planning to take it again March 10. He’s also waiting to find out if he made national merit on his PSAT (he was very close as a sophomore). Should he sit for a few subject tests (probably during the summer), too? These are the specific schools he’s most interested in:
Bates
Colby
Carleton
Based on their common data sets, they don’t seem to ‘require’ or even ‘recommend’ subject tests, though they do of course take them (consider them).
You need to check with the specific schools and see whether they are required, recommended, optional, or not considered. If any of the first 3 categories, then he should take them, preferably math 2 and any science. He can take them multiple times and then submit his highest to the schools that want them.
On the other hand, if those schools don’t consider or want subject tests, don’t bother.
The OP stated from the outset - they colleges in question “consider” them.
Again, the colleges in question don’t specify. If he were targeting an engineering school, then, yes, M2 and a science would be best. But then the school’s website would tell applicants that. Failing any specific direction, the student can submit whichever ones he likes. That said, avoid overlap. i.e. don’t send m1 and m2, or US History and World History, or Spanish and Spanish with Listening.
As to whether he should take, I say why not if he does not have to spend an inordinate amount of time in prep. If he doesn’t like the scores, then he does not have to send. If he likes the scores, they might help. Additionally, unless he has other testing that day, I would suggest taking the June test while the material is still fresh rather than taking in August.
My kids took the subject tests in courses they were taking junior year in May or June. Usually also as an AP course so they really did very little prep beyond taking one old test from the practice book and seeing if there were any issues. At the time my kids applied each was applying to at least one school that required subject tests, so they had no choice. In any even there experience was that Biology, Math 2 (after pre-calc), and US History were all very easy if you were already prepared.
Thank you all for the responses so far. Son is not necessarily STEM…he is very even in math and language arts (in fact, had an exact split on the SAT), which is why he’s currently focused on liberal arts schools. He’s considering taking the US History and Math 2 subject tests, which look like they’d show his balanced academic abilities.
@wrldpossibility, while I know you said your son isn’t focused on STEM at this time, you can be confident that the top LAC’s have very strong STEM programs - they just don’t generally have an “E” / Engineering school. Of the schools you mentioned, Carleton in particular is a STEM powerhouse.
All schools consider the SAT subjects test as the least (some barely) considered whether they are optional or mandatory. So in your case, with your son, he could take them and if he scores high enough (750+) send them in. If he doesn’t score high or doesn’t take them it shouldn’t hurt his chances.
If finances permit it, I would suggest taking the Subject Tests in June and sitting on the scores (not sending them to schools) for two reasons. 1) If he does well, you can always send them to any school he applies to that will even consider them (conversely, if he doesn’t do well, you don’t send them) and 2) The list of schools he’s applying to and major he’s considering very well may change by the last college deadline. BTDT with my oldest kiddo who had to take SAT Subject tests in fall of senior year. Kiddo #2 is taking them in June this year.
I read the Colby requirement as SAT or ACT or 2 subject tests, although the use of the word either makes it unclear. They say: “you’ll need to provide us with standardized test results for either the SAT, ACT, or two SAT Subject Tests.”
He’s a junior. Between now and next fall, his college list may change. I personally recommend that kids take subject matter tests in case they decide they later decide they want to apply to a college that requires or recommends them. That’s especially true if the subject matter of the test is based on 11th grade courses.
You don’t want him to get interested in some college early in his senior year and then realize he can’t apply without subject tests and/or he’s got to spend time reviewing material before he can take them.