Should I take a SAT US History Subject test to boost my chances??

<p>My SAT score is OK. I got an 1820 in June. 600 CR 600 W w/9 essay and 620 Math. </p>

<p>I took it again this October. I don't think I got 2000. Maybe a 1950 if I'm lucky. </p>

<p>My grades are 3.8 unweighted and 4.1 weighted. </p>

<p>My SAT scores aren't that great, but I am looking hard at USC, Santa Clara, and UC Davis. Stanford and UC Berkeley are just "apply for the hell of it". </p>

<p>I got a 5 on the APUSH exam last May. I am pretty confident I can score an 800; at the VERY worst a 750 or so. And would an 800 on the SAT Subject Test in US History help boost my chances to the USC, Santa Clara, and UC Davis???</p>

<p>I don’t really know what tier of schools Santa Clara and UC Davis are, but your SAT scores aren’t bad, and your GPA is fairly good.<br>
I think with extracurriculars and a kick-ass essay, you’d be well off for USC.
If you think you can get an 800 on your subject test US History, then go for it. It will only give more credence to your application, especially if you want to go into the history/politics area because it will show your strengths well.</p>

<p>Stanford actually recommends you take the SAT II:</p>

<p>(from their website)
Q:Should I take the SAT Subject test?
A: We recommend (but do not require) that you submit official results of at least two SAT Subject Tests, as these additional scores often assist us in our evaluation process. You are welcome to submit any and all SAT Subject Tests you have completed. We do not have a preference for the specific SAT Subject Tests you elect to take. However, if you elect to take a math test, we do prefer to see the Math Level 2 test if you feel that your math background has adequately prepared you for this test.</p>

<p>^^^ Yes the recommend, but I still consider Stanford a long shot, regardless if I take it or not. </p>

<p>I am talking about the realistic schools on my horizon like USC, Santa Clara, or UC Davis.</p>

<p>I’m not sure then. My state schools (in TX) say that they don’t even consider SAT IIs. But I don’t know what the general policy is in California.</p>

<p>Copy and pasted from your other thread.</p>

<p>Sure it would help. Be sure to take some other subject tests too. A word of warning though, I just took the SAT US history test yesterday and it was hard as f***. I got a 5 on the APUSH exam too, but I can say without a doubt the SAT USH test is much harder. Make you study enough because I sure as hell didn’t.</p>

<p>I disagree. The SAT USH exam was much easier. I got a 800 on the SAT and a 4 on the APUSH exam (although I suspect their was a grading error).</p>

<p>My son also did far better on the SAT II for U.S. History (760) than on the AP test (a “3”).</p>

<p>Hmm well maybe I did better than I thought because obviously I don’t know what I got yet.</p>