My son is burned out after studying for the ACT, SAT, and four AP tests. He absolutely does not want to study for or take any SAT subject tests next month. None of the schools he’s applying to require them, but some recommend them. One admissions counselor told me that it doesn’t necessarily hurt to not take them, but if he does well it can only help. At this point, I’m not sure he’s motivated to work hard enough to score well. I should probably just let it go, right?
It all depends on what schools the kid is applying to.
Some schools require them.
Some schools don’t.
Some schools require them (or not) depending on whether you submit the SAT or the ACT.
If you are going to take them, you should take them now.
If you take some, take ones where you just took the AP class. Then no real additional studying needed. Worked for my kids. Look at some schools that ask for them and get an idea what you could possibly need. With schools my girls were looking at, most wanted one of the two to be math but it could be either math.
The nice thing about subject tests is that they are short in comparison to full SAT so not a mind numbing testing day.
I would have him do them, they shouldn’t be as awful as sitting for a full ACT or SAT. If he does poorly then he doesn’t have to share the scores and he can retake them at the next sitting date. My daughter is taking a couple of them next month, as well as the ACT again. I think she plans to take some more subject tests in August too. She is definitely over all this testing too ~X( but is making herself do them.
Offer him a reward for taking them: $$, a trip, excused from chores. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to refill the tanks.
In the college application world, recommended really means required. If he wants to go to a school that recommends taking a subject test, he should take it. But it’s fine to do the October sitting. My kids did that. He will get his scores in time to apply.
There is an August test date before the SAT this year. So he has Aug and October. I agree with the above comment that he can do a subject test if he just did it for the same AP. My did did this wth the SAT lit test and didn’t study at all because she had just done AP lit. She got a great score because of it.
Bottom line though, let him decide. Explain that recommended probably means required, especially for an ORM. Then it’s his call and you are off the hook.
If he took ACT already, there are not many schools require SAT subject test. My D2 is on the same boat that she is done with ACT and SAT last month and will not take subject test. A good plan to space out the tests is critical for test preparation and taking the test. It may be too late now. Both my D took the first test in Fall of junior year and finished SAT/ACT long before AP exams. Each one took a total of three tests between ACT and SAT (one of them is free and mandatory by State). Both took the first test after reaching plateaus in practice test scores in the summer before junior. D2 did take the SAT2 in June of Junior year on Math2 and Chem that neither one needed much preparation for her (just a couple weekends after AP exam). The additional test in August may be a life saver for your son. I would try to avoid taking SAT/ACT in senior year unless he is not ready for EA/ED application.
“If you take some, take ones where you just took the AP class. Then no real additional studying needed…”
ditto here.
and some schools who say they "“recommend” , them really DO want them , so have him take them if at all possible.
Oh. I just found a typo in my post above. It was my D1 that took subject tests.
There are just too many tests! My kids’ solution was not to study for any of them, other than taking one practice test from the booklet. In your son’s case the decision regarding subject tests might depend on his overall scores to date on ACT and SAT I. Since the main testing is done for now, let him take just one or two subject tests in areas that are likely to matter for his potential major. Could be language, could be math.
I agree there are too many darn tests! Our poor kids.
SAT, ACT, AP tests. Honestly, we’re new to this and we didn’t even know about SAT Subject Tests.
My DD18 wanted to wait to take the SAT until this past March so she could prep. She took it then, and will retake in June and possibly August. Also taking ACT in June. Didn’t take SAT in June because of AP tests, Prom, and heavy Varsity Tennis schedule.
But know she’s thinking she might need to forgo the August SAT in order to take the subject tests, which would stink as she wants 3 tries at the SAT.
If she put the SAT Subject Tests off until October, would they really be available in the for EA applications?
(She’s mostly applying to schools that don’t want them, but wants to apply to a few reaches).
My younger son got in to several good colleges without any subject tests. He was of a similar mindset about testing at this point in time to years ago. We checked and decided that it wasn’t necessary for the schools to which he was applying (LACs in the Northeast, BU, UMass).
One place it can help is in placement for math and foreign language even if they are not required for admission, so check that out too.
I agree with @LBowie. My younger daughter got in everywhere that she applied without any subject tests. Everywhere she applied (all small schools) was SAT optional, except for one that said they don’t look at SAT at all. In her case placement for foreign language was done by taking a test that the school provides – which was quite easy for her and done after her “where do I go” decision was completed and the stress of applying and waiting and deciding had been replaced with the excitement of knowing where she was going to go.
We put too much stress on our kids. I think that you need to consider issues such as whether he is likely to get in to a good school without taking the test. However, I have seen a few posts on CC that look like some kids have reached their point of breaking and started to do badly, which is not a way to get into top schools.
I thought my daughter would do better on the SAT than the ACT but when she took the ACT last June and got a 33 without studying for it, we decided to just go with that (took it one more time just to raise her two lowest scores for an honors program). While some of the schools she applied to may have liked to see subject tests, we decided it wasn’t necessary. She got into many selective LACs (only one waitlist) without any subject tests.
Thank you, all. Good points. My son got a 35 on the ACT and a 1530 on the SAT, which is why I’m not so concerned about the subject tests. I just didn’t want schools to wonder why he wasn’t taking the subject tests if he did so well on everything else. But I think he’s just had it at this point and wants to rest.
Rest? Doesn’t he have most of the Summer to rest? I’m not trying to be annoying - if the school recommends a test, you probably want to take it.
@lauriejgs - I posted this awhile ago - but it looks like a re-post answers your question! 
My son was also suffering from Testing Burnout - but interested in Northwestern. NU website indicates “SAT IIs are recommended, not required” so he called Northwestern admissions - and was told that SAT IIs were for those students that wanted to show competency in an area that grades and other testing did not reveal. Since son had 4.0 GPA and all 5s on his APs he did not take any SAT IIs and was an ED Admit.
Good Luck!
Someone commented on placement. A friends child got into a really good college without subject tests, but after admission took one for math placement. So check on that as well. If you feel like child is overwhelmed do a little googling for him since you probably know what type of schools he is interested in. If he falls in love with a school that needs them, he does have fall dates - mine just found it easier to do while all info was fresh in mind. If want to delay one, I’d wait on math since you’ll review it if you decide to retake either SAT or ACT in fall - once you’ve finished with (for instance) AP test in US history, you’re ready to move on and forget it.
OP – you are flying blind. Your kid NEEDS to take the subject tests IF they are required or recommended at the schools he is going to apply to. Full stop. This isn’t a matter of opinion or advice.
Does your kid want to apply to Cornell for example? Does he want to major in architecture or arts/sciences or engineering at Cornell?
No subject tests required for architecture. Two subject tests required for A&S. One math and one science subject test required for engineering.