Title says it all.
On Yale’s website it says: “Applicants who do not take SAT Subject Tests will not be disadvantaged in the application process.” How accurate/truthful is this statement?
Here’s my testing history:
SAT: 2300
Math 2: 800
6 APs: two 4s and four 5s
AP Scholar with Distinction and National Merit Scholar Commended
If anyone could answer this question in terms of the other Ivies as well, I’d really appreciate it!
At the risk of making you appear absolutely foolish for even posing the question: Why would Yale lie on their website?
If Yale says “applicants who do not take SAT Subject Tests will not be disadvantaged in the application process” why would you disbelieve the administration? Or, more preciously, why would you not take them at their word? Do you think the administrations is trying to trip-up students up with their wording? Do you think they are waiting for just such a student, as yourself, to such one SAT Subject test score, and then cackle with glee as they reject you? Based upon what’s written on Yale’s website, do you think students submitting only one SAT Subject score will be at a disadvantage despite what admissions has said on the record?
C’mom use some of that common sense that makes you think you are Yale material; if Yale Admissions says it doesn’t matter, IT DOESN’T MATTER. All other colleges should be a taken at their word, as well.
@gibby thanks for your response. I do appreciate it!
All top schools used to require subject tests. Starting with places like Harvard, Penn, and Columbia, they’ve slowly started changing their subject test requirements. BUT, I feel that this is just a movement to increase the amount of applicants so that colleges can decrease their acceptance rate. I’m sure I come off as just another anxious senior, but I’m also skeptical of this whole process. As I search through dozens of results threads, I find applicants with 0 or 1 subject test to be only deferred/rejected.
In my opinion, it’s just like colleges saying that they have no threshold GPA or SAT/ACT score…yet I’ve read so many articles about having a low GPA gets your application tossed into the trash.
How do you decipher the wording when colleges say that they recommend but do not require 2 subject tests? Is that them basically saying that you must submit subject tests unless they present a financial hardship?
I also applied to Dartmouth, and since they “recommend” 2 ST scores, I sent them my 800 in Math 2 and my 670 in Literature. I decided that sending both my scores wouldn’t hurt me as much as sending only one. My GC has also told me numerous times that I must have 2 subject tests for all these top schools.
Here’s Dartmouth’s statement:
“We recommend that you submit 2 SAT Subject Test scores to help us better understand your academic strengths…Alternately, if you do not submit subject test scores, it will not prevent your candidacy from receiving a full review by the Admissions Committee.”
Just look at how enigmatic that last statement is! That’s what worries me.
I applied to Yale SCEA and I was recently accepted. I didn’t submit subject tests and I was really worried. So don’t worry you won’t be disadvantaged. Plus my SAT score was like really low (very low) and I didnt have the ACT. Trust me, your academics are fine. They won’t reject you because you didn’t have subject tests.
I also submitted no SAT Subject tests and got in. You’ll be fine.
If you get rejected, it won’t be because you only sent one subject test. I’d take Yale at their word.
It’s funny@gibby but when Harvard first changed their policy, you were advising everyone to take two subject tests if it wasn’t a financial burden because not taking them when you could afford to do so would look suspicious or maybe that you might be trying to hide bad scores. I cannot remember your exact wording and I don’t want to sort through hundreds of old posts but to admonish the OP for asking the question seems hypocritical to me.
^^ @Multiverse7: I made that comment with regards to AP Test scores. When an AP class appears on a student’s transcript, it looks suspicious to not self-report the AP test results, as an AP test is a culmination of an AP class. If you don’t report the AP test score, but the class appears on your transcript, yes it does loo like a student is hiding their scores and yes it does look suspicious.
However, Admissions has no idea if or when a student takes an SAT Subject Test, as an SAT Subject test IS NOT a culmination of any class, nor is noted on a transcript when a student choses to take an SAT Subject test. Therefore, I’m quite certain I did not say the the same thing with regards to Subject Test scores.
HYP et al were very transparent when they changed their policy: not submitting SAT Subject test scores, for whatever reason, will not affect your chances. The first year the policy was implemented many long term posters on CC, including myself, were wondering how it would all pan out, but one look at the SCEA and RD decision threads of HYP students for the past several years will verify that colleges have been true to their word.
No, I also have seen your comments about AP tests and that is not what I was referring to. You specifically encouraged kids to continue to take SAT subject test scores when Harvard’s policy changed. I was in the process of deciding on whether to take them or not when I read your comments. But whatever, life is too short to quibble.
You should still take the tests regardless of if schools like HYP are not requiring them. Many other schools do require them. Most of the more challenging schools that my daughter applied to did and she took them for those schools because they were more realistic for admissions. Submitting them when not required is the more of the option over not taking them at all.
@gibby Above is one of your posts on the matter.
I have no insider information about Yale BUT i do many times think that a college will say that something isn’t necessary (many times because they want to be inclusive & cast a wider net) yet will note & appreciate the extra effort of taking those steps. Asking for an “optional” resume is an example of that.
That said, my kid took no subject tests and was admitted to an array of top-tier colleges (though she didn’t apply to Yale 
“I feel that this is just a movement to increase the amount of applicants so that colleges can decrease their acceptance rate.” You’ll want get away from this sort of baseless speculation. The top colleges look for an applicant’s level of thinking and how that manifests throughout the record and the writing.
It isn’t necessary means it isn’t necessary.
Yes, I did. Students SHOULD attempt to take two SAT Subject tests for several reasons:
HYP Admissions is still asking for two SAT Subject tests
A significant part of the Academic Index calculation comes from a student’s two highest SAT Subject tests: http://www.collegeconfidential.com/academic_index/
Although HYP have made subject tests optional, every ivy league school is required to calculate an AI for every applicant, as a recruited athlete’s AI cannot be one standard deviation away from the AI of the student body. But to know that, Admissions must calculate an AI on every prospective applicant – and they print a student’s AI right on your file as a shorthand. Without SAT Subject tests, how does a college calculate an AI? No one knows, as colleges have not been forthcoming.
How is Admissions calculating an AI for students who submit one or no SAT Subject Test scores? Are they guessing at what a student might score on them? Are they dividing a student’s SAT score by 2? Are they giving them a pass? Until Harvard, and other colleges, specifically address how the Academic Index is currently being calculated. I think it prudent that students attempt to submit two SAT subject tests, especially in light of #3 below.
Will your application be weaker without Subject Test scores? Admissions says so no, so I take them at their word.
That said, Admissions is deliberately avoiding the question: Will students who submit two SAT subject test scores have an advantage in the applications process? My guess: maybe, possibly, only an Admissions Officer knows for sure.
Given the OP asked the question two weeks before the RD deadline, I didn’t think it worth mentioning all the above. However, the thread you are quoting me from was from last July – when you (and other students) had the luxury of time to study for, and take, SAT Subject tests. If you followed my advice in July, you may have an advantage.
The college counselors at my kids’ school always say NOTHING is optional. If something says optional, do it. If you have financial obstacles preventing you from taking the SAT subject tests, I would think that would be another matter. But submitting only one subject test score might raise questions. You could obviously afford to take the subjects tests as you submitted one score, so omitting a second score raises the obvious question of “Why?”
So you’re saying that you take them at their word that you won’t be disadvantaged for not sending in subject test scores (it’s what you chastised OP about), but at the same time you think you may be advantaged to submit two subject tests? What? Aren’t you then disadvantaged by not sending two subject tests by transitivity?
^^I’m dropping this and focusing on more positive things for the holidays.
I personally think that more data points are better than less so if you have two high subject tests, you should send them in. Plus, you need subject tests for many other schools so study for them and do the best you possibly can.
^^ I agree.