I’ve finished all the standardized testing I want to take, including one sitting of the subject tests in October (I took Math2, US History & Literature). I didn’t feel very good about them when I took them and was initially a bit disappointed when I got the scores back, though maybe I was too concerned. I got a 780 on Math 2, 720 on US History and unfortunately not above 700 on Lit. I don’t feel these scores are a great representation of my strengths, should I still them to schools like Ivies + UNC/Duke, Bowdoin/Reed/Williams/Colby/Kenyon? I don’t think they’re really adding much to the application, but should I still report to show I took them? Would there be any negatives to reporting them? I’m reporting 5s on the corresponding AP tests in each of these subjects already.
Also, unrelated, for honors on the Common App is AP Scholar w/Distinction worth reporting (I have 5 5s and 1 4 that are already reported on the app) over just school honor roll?
On each of these tests, all of them select compared to the AP, you scored within the top 25% - 30% of testers. That seems fine. You might have been hoping for higher on the M2 but seriously - would a perfect 800 have added information for someone who has taken calculus already, given that about 30,000 others (all of whom have ALSO taken Calc. - some BC) happen to share the same score? And yet top STEM schools ask to see the M2 so they must think so! Within that context I’m really not sure there’s much difference, practically speaking, between 800 and 780.
Can’t speak to Lit but I’ve heard that USH is a different test than APUSH. The latter is more analytical while the former is knowledge-heavy. Submitting both scores seems like you are providing a more complete picture of your abilities. My guess is that USH testers scoring over 700 did very well on APUSH so are like a more select, skilled group of testers. USH in total is also a fraction of the number of APUSH testers. 720 is a respectable score.
The only school that asks for three subject tests is G-Town. You’d only need to submit two subject tests to Duke if you are submitting the SAT (if the ACT, then subject tests aren’t even required). Not sure about the others but if they don’t ask for them you actually don’t need to send any. Think about how scores look compared to your SAT/ACT, and how they present for the major you are considering. You will likely end up sending no more than one or two.
Under no circumstances should you report just to show you took them unless the school requires all tests. That would be G-Town again. If they are optional, use them if they are helpful; if subject tests are recommended or required, send the one or two best based on score not percentiles, since those are increasingly crowded at the top (ie skewed) for USH and ridiculously so for M2.