Taking SAT Subject Tests: Greater Flexibility or More Murkiness | Doing College | Elizabeth LaScala | PleasantonWeekly.com |

Local Blogs

Doing College

By Elizabeth LaScala

E-mail Elizabeth LaScala

About this blog: I post articles to offer timely and substantive college admission guidance on important topics and issues. Originally from New York, I have a B.S. from Hunter College in NYC and advanced professional degrees from the University of...  (More)

View all posts from Elizabeth LaScala

Taking SAT Subject Tests: Greater Flexibility or More Murkiness

Uploaded: Apr 27, 2015
Elizabeth LaScala Ph.D. guides college, transfer and graduate school applicants through the complex world of admission. Elizabeth helps students identify majors and career paths, and develops best match college lists; she offers personalized essay coaching, and tools and strategies to help students tackle each step of the admissions process with confidence and success. Elizabeth guides students from all backgrounds to maximize scholarship opportunities and financial aid awards. For more information visit Elizabeth Call (925) 385 0562 or email her at elizabeth@doingcollege.com

Colleges can and do change their testing requirements, and students should carefully review the testing policies at each college they are considering sending an application. In this way you can avoid the unpleasant experience of finding out at the last minute that there is a required or recommended exam. In 2009 College Board announced Score Choice and this move made it seem as though students were the final decision makers regarding what scores to send out to colleges. In fact, colleges set their own admission requirements, and each applicant must adhere to each college's testing requirements in order for his or her application to be considered complete. Think about it logically-- all your scores must be visible to colleges?or else how could they validate your self-reported 'best scores?' Simple fact?ultimately most colleges can and do view all your scores.

Let's take a specific example about how colleges vary their testing requirements. Each year, the requirements and recommendations around SAT Subject Tests grow more diverse. SAT Subject Tests are one hour exams, best taken at the completion of related high school coursework, when the material is freshest in students' minds. For example, it is often best to take the SAT Subject Test Math Level 2 at the completion of pre-calculus and the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry at the completion of AP Chemistry. SAT Subject Tests are sometimes confused with AP Exams, but they are different tests and one does not substitute for the other.

Colleges may find Subject Tests helpful, but they are not always in agreement about how they are helpful. So the general trend is toward greater flexibility. The University of California (UC) dropped the SAT Subject Test requirement in 2011 for Class of 2012. For all students, pressure was lessened to schedule additional standardized testing and for many underserved students, who were otherwise qualified, an important barrier was removed to accessing a UC education. Before this change, the UC was the only public higher education system to require students to take two subject examinations. See Nancy Griesemer for the history of this change.

But following this change is where the picture grew murky. UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry as well as UC Berkeley's College of Engineering still consider an SAT Science and Math Level 2 a 'plus' and UC Santa Barbara's College of Letters and Science states that subject test scores can add 'value' to the application review process. The other UCs have different recommendations.

In addition, many selective private colleges and universities nationwide still require or recommend that applicants demonstrate academic competence by taking one or more (usually two) SAT Subject Tests. Some colleges have policies that somehow 'take scores into account' and encourage sending them, especially if they are strong scores. Strong scores can serve to strengthen or 'enhance' the student's application. Exactly how colleges use Subject Test scores and under what conditions a set of scores will benefit a particular student applying to a particular school for a particular major can be unclear.

Students should ask a seasoned college representative or trusted advisor these questions directly to gain clarity about how the policy applies to his or her unique application. And, as a general rule, all standardized testing should include sufficient preparation time in order to achieve your best scores, since all scores may be visible to each college you send an application.


Democracy.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by Conservator, a resident of Danville,
on May 15, 2015 at 8:14 am

Erratum "...can simplify your child's academic experience?"

I should have used the fine folks at AONE...


Posted by Charles Kipkorir, a resident of Bonde Ranch,
on Jul 28, 2015 at 3:04 pm

As the nation's most widely used college admission test, the SAT is the first step toward higher education for students of all backgrounds.


Follow this blogger.
Sign up to be notified of new posts by this blogger.

Email:

SUBMIT

Post a comment

Sorry, but further commenting on this topic has been closed.

Stay informed.

Get the day's top headlines from PleasantonWeekly.com sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.

Premiere! “I Do I Don’t: How to build a better marriage” – Here, a page/weekday
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 1,869 views

Community foundations want to help local journalism survive
By Tim Hunt | 20 comments | 1,634 views

Pop open the beer at the holiday table
By Deborah Grossman | 3 comments | 788 views

 

Support local families in need

Your contribution to the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund will go directly to nonprofits supporting local families and children in need. Last year, Pleasanton Weekly readers contributed over $83,000 to support eight safety-net nonprofits right here in the Tri-Valley.

DONATE HERE