Subject Test Dilemma Please Help

Hi, everybody, I’m in a little bit of a dilemma and any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Basically, I’m applying to Harvard REA for engineering as well as UCLA, UCSB, UCB, USC, UW, Cal Poly, and a few others for engineering.

I have a 1480 superscored new SAT (690 CR, 790M) which is equivalent to a 34 ACT, good EC’s, solid essays. However, there’s one problem.

I’m sitting on a 700 Math II Subject test and have not taken a science subject test. I have taken regular Bio freshman year and regular Chemistry Junior year. I’m currently signed up to take Math II again and Bio E on Nov. 5, but I pretty much know that I’d fail Bio, as I’m incredibly unprepared. The way I see it, I have a few options:

  1. Apply to all the schools above including Early Action at Harvard without sending the Nov. 5 subject test scores. The disadvantages of this are that I know that Engineering programs want to see subject test scores in science and math.

  2. Take the literature subject test on Nov. 5 and pray for a good score (can’t see myself scoring above a 700)

  3. Study 12 hours a day for the next few days and try to salvage a 650 or so on Chemistry or Biology on Nov. 5

  4. Give up on Early Action at Harvard which would give me another month to study for subject tests.

  5. Apply undecided to all of these schools so that the subject test wouldn’t be as much of an issue. Try to transfer later.

My main questions are, how important are subject tests for these schools for engineering programs, and how much of an advantage is Early Action at Harvard? By the way, I am a double legacy for Harvard as both parents went there.

Any help would be amazing! Thank you.

First off, SAT Subject Tests are optional at Harvard, so you don’t have to submit them. Not sure about the rest of your colleges.

Secondly, all students apply to Harvard as Liberal Arts Majors and choose a major, called a concentration, during their sophomore year. That’s true for students interested in CS, Economics for Engineering! Admissions asks about your “intended major” to gauge your interests, but as more than 60% of students in the United States change their major at least once during their 4 years of college, Admissions cannot use a students “intended major” as a recruiting tool, as the majority of students graduate with a different major then the one they wrote down on the Common Application.

That said, if you write down that your “intended major” or “interest” is Engineering, Admissions expects to see some evidence to support that in your Common Application. It could be an extracurricular activity, advanced interests in Math, maybe even the topic of your essay. However, I would think only submitting a literature based SAT Subject Test with a stated interest in Engineering could raise an eyebrow – as Admissions would be looking for evidence of your Engineering interests and, depending on what’s in the rest of your application, might wonder about the absence of an advanced Math test.

As any SAT Subject Test over 700 is thought to be considered “good enough” I would submit your 700 in Math and look objectively at the rest of your application. Do your extra curricular activities show an interest for Engineering? Do your EC’s show an interest in another subject? How committed to Engineering are you? Did you with an essay about it? If nothing is jumping out to an Admissions Officer about your interests. I would apply as undecided to all your schools and submit the 700 in Math II.

Thanks so much for your response. I have demonstrated interest in engineering in my essays. It couldn’t hurt to raise that math II score though right? Also, for the engineering programs at the UC’s, a science subject test is recommended as well.

I don’t think a 1480 is quite equivalent to a 34. A 34 equates to a 1540 based off the College Board’s conversion chart. A 1480 is closer to a 32 or 33. Anyway, I’m applying to Harvard (RD) without any subject tests. I don’t think they matter much in the grand scheme of things. You won’t get rejected for not having them. They’re a relatively small part of your academics.

I would love for that to be the case. Do you have any experience or proof backing this up? Not trying to be a skeptic but just want to be secure in my choice of not taking it.