<p>So here's the situation: I'm a strong overall student, but I have a definite inclination toward the humanities. My academic electives are all literature and AP history courses. My extracurriculars (namely, school paper and mock trial) follow suit. I'm going into the college applications process undecided about my major, but I have a definite interest in English that I think will come through in my essays and interviews. That being said, here are my scores:</p>
<p>June 2010: Math II 760
May 2011: Biology E 800, US History 730, Literature 680 </p>
<p>If I really just need to send 2, I think my math and biology scores are definitely the most appealing. But should I retry lit so my scores line up somewhat with my interests? I was definitely disappointed with my score, but I do already have an 800 in critical reading. Thoughts?</p>
<p>You shouldn’t necessarily take the SAT2’s that reflect your personal interests. You should just take what you are strongest in, what classes you have taken in AP/honors, etc.</p>
<p>Your bio + Math scores are great, and you are right you only really need 2. Unless a college you are applying to specifically wants SAT2 Lit, then why not try to take different test on another subject you are good at?</p>
<p>But if you schools of interest only want two, your bio and math are solid.</p>
<p>I have a question for you about the Subject exam in Lit, which my son is taking next weekend! You had an excellent CR score, so I wondered what made the Lit exam so hard? (My son’s CR score was high 600s)</p>
<p>He’s done the practice test at collegeboard, but otherwise hasn’t studied for it; he’s studying for Amer history instead, b/c he took that class last year.</p>
<p>Any advice for him to prepare for the lit subject exam? Thanks!!</p>
<p>I think my lower lit score was due in part to taking it after two pretty fact-heavy tests (bio and US). Lit involves some deeper analysis rather than straightforward memorization, so if he’s the type to get tired after a few tests, I’d actually suggest taking it earlier on. </p>
<p>One thing I’d stress is that it’s pretty hit or miss–I had a lot of trouble with one poem on the test, and that was about 10 of the questions right there. Full score reports aren’t coming out until tomorrow, but I’d wager that I lost a lot of points on that one section. The readings they give you on lit are more difficult than the critical reading passages and the answers are more nuanced, so I think it should be helpful that he’s done the practice tests because it gives you some idea of what sort of answers they throw in to trip people up. There isn’t really that much you can do to study, since the passages are always different, but getting acclimated to the types of answers they’re looking for and the level of precision–most importantly, finding a complete but concise answer that addresses the question and the passage directly–should definitely help to get him on the right track.</p>
<p>I didn’t really study for lit because I was so concerned about bio, so I sort of came into it cold, hoping that the skills that got me through critical reading would get me through lit. One thing that surprised me was the range in the passages–one poem in particular that gave me some difficulty dated back to the 15th century (I think). The language was tougher and I wasn’t remotely expecting to deal with that sort of material, so my pacing suffered. If your son’s relatively good at pacing himself, I’d also recommend taking a very quick look at all the passages at the beginning of the test and seeing if anything pops out as something that might take him more time so he can plan accordingly.</p>
<p>Good luck to your son! I’m happy to answer any other questions if they emerge.</p>