Daughter is applying Early Decision to Dartmouth. Strong in most areas, good writer (Common App essays) and ECs are strong; SAT 1500 (taken once) is 750 Math/750 Verbal; GPA is 4.6 from rigorous public HS; APs all 5s and a few 4s–has taken eleven APs so far and will take another six senior year. Daughter was fried (like most juniors) at end of junior year after APs and did not score as high as hoped; she cannot retake them in August: Here are her SAT Subject Test scores:
710 in Math 2
690 in Bio
670 in Literature.
Dartmouth website says SAT Subjects are “recommended” but not required. Has anyone heard of Dartmouth holding true to what website says and not requiring SAT Subject Tests for admission? I saw one thread on CC (but it is old) saying that SAT Subjects aren’t really looked at when applying Early, but that was 2007.
Should she submit these lower scores or just apply without submitting the SAT Subject Test scores? She loves Dartmouth but if not accepted ED, she plans to apply ED2 to nearby elite liberal arts college or Regular Decision to several strong LACs.
There are 20 SAT Subject Tests in five general subject areas: English, history, languages, mathematics, and science. … Each Subject Test is an hour long. They are all multiple-choice and scored on a 200–800 scale. Subject Tests test you on your knowledge of subjects on a high school level.
Fwiw, I would not submit them. I think they are not helping her case. Submit the AP scores instead.
But would like to hear more experienced parents’ input here.
Good luck.
No personal knowledge that would answer your question, but those are not great percentiles, and, if it were my kid, I think I’d roll the dice and take them at their word and not include the scores. I don’t see how the absence of something that is not required could be worse than submitting scores that were not in line with her SAT scores. My D’s [a 13] were lower than her SAT scores as well in 2 of the 3 she took, but not as dramatically, and she had an excellent score in the 3d, so it was not as difficult a choice, and she opted to include them – but she applied ED elsewhere and RD to Dartmouth, so our experience is little help I fear.
It’s difficult to make a recommendation without knowing the rest of your D’s profile (full academic profile, ECs, strength of rec letters, essays) and HS environment/context.
With the limited info here, I recommend she retake two of those subject tests in August (I don’t think she needs three scores, unless she is applying to Georgetown) because the two other alternatives (not submitting any scores or submitting the scores as is), will likely make her application relatively weaker, not stronger. Has she spoken with her HS GC about this?
Thanks for these replies. The SAT Subject tests cannot be retaken in August, but could be retaken in November possibly. School is ranked top 10 nationally academically (year after year) for public schools, so academic index/rigor is quite high. ECs are strong. The HS guidance counselor (who is experienced) was on the fence just like we are and like posters here, but ultimately used same logic as @AboutTheSame and @makemesmart.
If anyone reading this thread has heard of someone NOT submitting SAT Subject Tests for Early Decision at Dartmouth and being accepted, please let us know. It’s hard to understand why a school would call them “recommended” if they are actually mandatory. Or why a school would not specify that financial hardship is the reason they are optional since fee waiver program exists for all standardized tests.
i was accepted ED. I did not send any official subject tests when I applied in October, though I self-reported one in early December after a panic that I should have submitted. I am full pay so cost was not a barrier, and I was worried I was required to take them; However, my admissions counselor said it doesn’t matter and it didn’t.
DD20 got similar Subject test results from June. She plans to apply ED to Penn, which is the only school she’s applying to that recommends Subject tests. She decided not to retake them and to take Penn at their word that she won’t be at a disadvantage by not reporting them.
@OakTree444 : That link you posted [#10] rang a bell, and I think the comment about subject test percentiles not being that significant has been mentioned elsewhere as well, so some of what I said should perhaps be tossed out the window. I mean, I guess at that point, we’re talking about being in the 70th percentile of superachievers, right? Lordy, I am so glad I only had one kid to shepherd through this process.
@AboutTheSame - This is my third child to go through this process and it’s those SAT Subject Tests that just add one more layer of stress (for some anyway–all 3 of mine) after 6-7 AP exams and PSAT and regular SAT during junior year–on top of activities and classes. Will be glad when it is over and am appreciative of the fact that many excellent schools do not require these Subj Tests. We shall see where she lands, but she is really hoping for Dartmouth. Her brother is there for his Sophomore summer and loves it.
My D was accepted to Dartmouth as an incoming 23 and she didn’t submit SAT 2 scores. She wasn’t ED - so even had more time to potentially take them than your D. We’re from a small rural town in Idaho, so not sure if the same standards hold when compared to a competitive market. Those SAT 2 scores aren’t great, but not awful - they might not hurt as much as you think or fear. It is hard double guessing the admissions game. If she gets deferred, she’d have time to get a last crack at them in November and December and they would be reported for the RD round.
Good catch - I obviously missed that. My main point is that with the otherwise solid scores and profile, it would be worth studying for a retake starting as soon as possible - whether for ED (in November) or for a possible RD (in December) or even BOTH. Getting deferred by Dartmouth is a very real likelihood - no matter how good a candidate is. Planning to up the SAT 2 scores will no doubt improve the application and perhaps remove that score as a negative factor. I understand the burnout from APs and SATs and six more APs in senior year (which is insane). But hopefully she can make use of the summer to make some headway on SAT 2 study. I’d advise that she study for and take the two she feels strongest in (instead of three).