<p>I am planning to take US History and Literature. Math is not my strong suit, but I'll take a subject test in it if I have to, and if I do horrible, I don't have to report it because W&M doesn't recommend that you have them in the first place.</p>
<p>But to anyone that has gotten into W&M and took subject tests, do you feel that Subject Tests strengthened your application?</p>
<p>*I just read a forum post on here that said sometimes the October SAT Scores don't show up for ED in time? :( That's not good for me. I really don't want to take the SAT I again next month because I was counting on some more time to prepare and get my scores up for next year. Also, I am currently enrolled in AP US History so the material for one of the subject tests would be fresh in my mind. But now, I don't know if I should take the subject tests in June or October. Although W&M doesn't weight them highly, I still want to have them for other schools if I don't get into W&M.</p>
<p>Whew, it's just a big mess. Can someone help me out? :)</p>
<p>I’m 99% sure that WM does not really care about subject tests. It says on the website they are not required. I asked an admissions lady about it at my visit and she said that taking them anyway will not really increase your chances.</p>
<p>I took 2 subject tests (the very same ones you’re planning on taking, in fact) and did very well on them, but I don’t think it added much to my application for W&M. As far as testing goes, W&M primarily looks at your critical reading/math scores, so that’s what you should focus your energy on. I would, however, strongly suggest you take 2 subject tests anyway, because many other schools require/strongly suggest them.</p>
<p>For your subject tests, just take whatever subjects you think you’d do best in. Colleges mainly care about the score you get, not the subject itself (unless you’re applying to engineering, in which case they might require math) </p>
<p>Also, the literature subject test is hard! The curve is brutal and the questions are pretty tricky. Unless you really dominate critical reading, you might want consider another subject test you’d do better in. U.S. History is relatively easy though, especially if you’re just coming out of APUSH.</p>
<p>@ExceptMe</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>We neither require nor recommend SAT subject tests unless you are a homeschooled student in which case we recommend a math and lab science SAT II as well as one more of your choosing.</p>
<p>If you do really well on subject tests will it hurt you? Of course not but it won’t be the reason you got in either. Likewise if you do really poorly will it be the reason you’re not admitted. No but it won’t help your application either.</p>
<p>We recommend for W&M that students focus first and foremost on the SAT I. Sometimes SAT IIs can come into play if we’re considering a student for the Monroe or Murray Scholarships but that’s only after we’ve reviewed their file and everything else is super (SAT IIs are icing on the cake there so to speak)</p>