Dear CC Community,
On the websites of some colleges, (take Princeton’s for instance) it states “Princeton will consider the … two highest SAT Subject Test scores”. Does it mean that it is fruitless to take more than two … or even three for some schools?
This concerns me because I do not know if it makes me smart or a fool for taking four SAT Subject Tests (lowest was a 750). I hope you all can share in my understanding the wasted hours of studying for something that would ultimately be unaccounted for in the college admission decision.
Thoughts?
Taking in excess of the requirements only makes sense if the extra subject test(s) can be used for placement later. (e.g. foreign language)
If the school says they will consider the top 2, there is a real chance that behind the scenes (either manually or electronically) your top 2 are pulled for review and the admissions officer never knows that you took more.
If the AO is able to see the extra scores, you run the risk of him/her thinking at the outset that you are nothing more than a test-taking drone.
My suggestion is to limit yourself to no more than the requirements plus one.