In a few years, my S will apply to small, regional LACs and possible a couple state schools as safeties. I’ve checked, and none of the possibilities require SAT Subject Tests. So I thought we could skip that step. (My D did not take any Subject Tests, and her applications went smoothly without them.)
I saw some phrase on CC though, about getting college credits through CLEP, AP, Dual Enrollment, and Subject Tests. Sorry, I can’t remember where I read that. Anyway, I didn’t grasp it at that moment, but later realized I didn’t know the details about Subject Tests getting you college credits.
Please educate me on Subject Tests and how they can get you college credits. Unless something major changes in our situation, we will not need them for college admissions.
You could search the specific college’s “Common Data Set” to see how that school uses subject tests. Some schools might use subject tests as placement tests (allowing a student to skip intro class) but I am not aware of ones that use them as an actual “credit” per se. But the Common Data Set might provide more insight on exactly how a particular college uses subject tests.
Thx. I wasn’t aware of “credits” given either, and maybe I misread the passage where I saw Subject Tests listed along with the other ways to gain college credit.
Would love others to chime in and set me straight. I don’t want to add in another thing to do if it is not necessary, but also don’t want to pass up a way to earn a college credit.
As my H always jokes “if you read it on the internet, it has to be true !!”
SAT subject tests in a foreign language can be used to exempt an applicant from a college’s foreign language graduation requirement (if there is one). In a very small number of colleges, the exemption may be accompanied by credit. Other than that, I am not aware of any instance where the subject test would grant credit.
My S is taking the Latin subject test in June – his university offers 4 or 8 hours of class credit if he does well enough. Other languages, as well as chemistry and physics, have SAT II credit opportunities as well. I’d see where your S ends up going and explore whether credit is offered there.
Would check to confirm this, but friend of D went to UNC and her Mom told me they used SAT math subject test for placement. Didn’t have it for admission and had to take it at the end of year. But that’s the only place I ever heard that used it for other than admissions.
For the majority of colleges, subject tests mean nothing even for placement or credits. You need to check each college to determine what it may do with subject tests if they are not required. For admission, some may use certain tests, like a language, math or science and possibly even a literature for placement. Some may even give credit for like categoreos. But it is a minority that do so for placement and a lower minority for credit.
At some (not all) schools, a student bringing in SAT subject test scores can use them (usually in math or foreign language) in lieu of school-administered placement tests.
Getting credits for SAT subject tests is uncommon, but sometimes a high enough score can help fulfill a specific requirement (e.g. high enough score on an SAT subject test in a language may fulfill a foreign language requirement at some schools, although, in this case, typically a high enough score on the school’s own placement test can also fulfill the requirement).