<p>Hi, new at posting - I've taken the SAT once and the ACT once, and I'm wondering if I should retake either, and if I should take SAT subject tests. </p>
<p>I'm looking to apply to some top liberal arts colleges, one or two Ivies, and some safety schools w/ huge scholarships. Do you think I should retake the SAT? ACT? Should I take SAT Subject tests if I'm applying to schools that don't require them?</p>
<p>I'm thinking I should just submit my ACT+Writing score..</p>
<p>If you’re applying to the Ivies, then yes you should take them. I’d recommend taking the November/December(if they have a December test) due to the fact that you’ll probably need to do some reviewing. </p>
<p>I don’t think you need to retake the ACT or SAT. If you are applying to any schools that request SAT II’s, you need to plan on taking them; otherwise, no.</p>
<p>Thanks!! None of the schools that I’m probably applying to, including Ivies, require the SAT II’s if you submit ACT+writing…I should probably take them anyways though?</p>
<p>I’ve talked to a couple of admissions counselors about this, and what I’ve gotten from these conversations is that if you are sending the ACT+writing and no subject tests are required and you have taken SAT Subject tests and have scored in the top 10% then send them, but if not then don’t. If I were you I wouldn’t worry about it.</p>
<p>@Hawkace the top 10% can actually be higher then 750. If you look at your score on the college board website then it should tell you what percentile you are in</p>
<p>@maymay5678
The percentiles mean nothing, tbh. An 800 on math II is the 86th percentile. It’s just a way for collegeboard to keep track of things. Colleges don’t care about them</p>
<p>@Hawkace I was talking to a Vanderbilt admissions counselor recently since I was trying to figure out if I should submit SAT Subject Tests and he told me that unless I had scored in the top 10% then I should not submit them</p>
<p>I wouldn’t take any with that ACT score. Subject tests can hurt an application if they’re too low (especially in your situation where you don’t need them).</p>
<p>@maymay5678 So someone shouldn’t submit an 800 on the Math II subject test simply because it’s not top 10%? (that was sarcastic. Getting a 790 could push you into the 80s… who cares about one question? Don’t spread false info…)</p>
<p>@sallymeno11 I’m just saying what the admissions counselor told me. I’m not saying I agree with it, but its definitely not false info. Sorry if you feel that way, I was just saying what a highly competitive school’s admissions counselor told me. If you think that’s false them great for you, personally I don’t really care, I was just trying to help</p>
<p>Take SAT2 if you are applying to schools that requires it or competitive that recommend it. There are a dozen of so schools require SAT2 no matter you submit ACT or SAT1. Also, you may need the extra edge for the competitive schools. For instance, Stanford only recommend SAT2, but 95% of admitted students did submit SAT2 scores.</p>
<p>I actually disagree with just about everyone here. <sat scores="" predict="" the="" rest="" of="" your="" life=""></sat></p>
<p>You can actually only benefit from taking it again. The writing and math sections are actually quite easy to improve in, so you seem to be in good shape if you just try a little harder. I personally got a 2250 on an SAT i took in October. I decided to take it again after a little bit more preparation, resulting in a 2310. I’m sure you can do the same too</p>
<p>Additionally, Score choice allows you to withhold certain SAT scores from colleges, so if you do badly, simply dont send that score. The collegeboard does not tell the colleges you are applying to whether or not you even used score choice.</p>
<p>Submitting your ACT 34 - one and done - looks excellent. Re-taking it would be a foolish use of your time and definitely reflect negatively on your priorities and judgment, to say the least. Statistically a 34 is not much different from a 36, and the time you would have to commit to preparation (otherwise why retake?) would be much better spent on classes, ECs, essays, supplements, scholarship applications etc. </p>
<p>If none of your schools require SAT II with the ACT, definitely don’t bother. Again, it would be a hollow gesture - showmanship, at best. Use the time on scholarship and activities that you genuinely value. This will get you miles further in the admissions process than another (unnecessary) number.</p>
<p>The SAT 2 is just a waste of time and money. At best, they are just checking another box off on your admissions resume, and an easy 50 bucks for College Board. If your schools don’t require them, don’t take them.</p>
Update: since I decided to apply at the VERY last second (as in 30 mins before deadline) to an Ivy that requires SAT IIs, I will be taking them next weekend, Math 2 and Lit. yay me!