Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 20:50     Subject: Re:SAT Chem Subject Score
Anonymous wrote:Why say recommend instead of require then? These schools don't seem shy about all the other stuff they want.


Who knows... Maybe using "recommended" instead of "required" makes more kids apply. If you don't believe me, check out College Confidential discussions.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 20:12     Subject: Re:SAT Chem Subject Score
Why say recommend instead of require then? These schools don't seem shy about all the other stuff they want.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 20:05     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Princeton and Yale both require four.


According to the links they recommend, but do not require, 2. In fact it's pretty soft language.


It is but it isn't. When app web site says "recommended" what it really means is that they expect kids to take/submit.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 20:04     Subject: Re:SAT Chem Subject Score
I don't know if they are but I think subject tests SHOULD be meaningless. To do well on them either means your school teaches to the test or that you had the time and money to prep on the side. I feel like the "better" schools are moving away from them and that about the only time they hold value is for homeschooled kids who need more objective verification of their ability.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 19:51     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
Anonymous wrote:Princeton and Yale both require four.


According to the links they recommend, but do not require, 2. In fact it's pretty soft language.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 18:32     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DC just got 700 in Bio E SAT with same issue / concerns. DC did study and was scoring higher on practice tests.
A 700 is not too shabby!


about 70 %tile.

This article is a couple of years old but provides good insight.

https://peaktestprep.com/blog/sat-college-admissions/seeing-beyond-sat-why-sat-subject-test-scores-matter

"While only around 100 of the 3,000 colleges and universities across the country use SAT Subject Tests in their admissions decisions, those that do tend to be the most selective and prestigious schools. For schools like Stanford and Harvard, which accept only 7-10% of the 30,000+ highly qualified students seeking admission each year, SAT Subject Test scores are every bit as important as SAT/ACT scores. Though students will never be admitted to an elite university on the basis of test scores alone, they can certainly be rejected solely on this basis. In other words, when you're competing against the nation's best and brightest, a 2400 on the SAT is meaningless if your SAT II scores are in the 85th percentile. Unfortunately, many students, parents and schools treat the subject tests as an afterthought and believe they require no special preparation. Indeed, the forums of College Confidential and similar sites are filled with parents’ and students’ regrets about not taking the SAT IIs more seriously."



That's interesting because Harvard isn't required SAT II's anymore if a student is financially challenged so I wonder how much weight they will give them.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 18:14     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
Their websites appear to indicate otherwise:

https://admission.princeton.edu/applyingforadmission/standardized-testing

http://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 16:28     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
^^ English, History, Math and Chemistry
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 16:27     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
Princeton and Yale both require four.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 14:34     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
I've heard of 3 subject matter tests but what school wants 4?
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 13:08     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
I agree there is too much pressure on these kids. But for what it's worth, I just dropped high school junior DC at NOVA for college chemistry class (which he loves by the way) to prep him for the chem subject matter test. Will report back if it works. His own chem. teacher said his own class was too watered down for him to do well on the subject matter test, hence the college level course. If DC hadn't gotten a 34 composite including essay on the ACT I wouldn't be doing this but he wants to apply to schools that want to see four subject mattter tests.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2015 08:36     Subject: Re:SAT Chem Subject Score
Anonymous wrote:My son scored a 710 in the chemistry SAT after several days of practice tests. We hoped for better, but I certainly don't think it's a bad score. It's what he could do with a week of practice crammed after finals and between athletic commitments.

Too much pressure on these kids!


Couldn't he have taken it at another time?
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2015 22:02     Subject: Re:SAT Chem Subject Score
My son scored a 710 in the chemistry SAT after several days of practice tests. We hoped for better, but I certainly don't think it's a bad score. It's what he could do with a week of practice crammed after finals and between athletic commitments.

Too much pressure on these kids!
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2015 16:15     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DC just got 700 in Bio E SAT with same issue / concerns. DC did study and was scoring higher on practice tests.
A 700 is not too shabby!


about 70 %tile.

This article is a couple of years old but provides good insight.

https://peaktestprep.com/blog/sat-college-admissions/seeing-beyond-sat-why-sat-subject-test-scores-matter

"While only around 100 of the 3,000 colleges and universities across the country use SAT Subject Tests in their admissions decisions, those that do tend to be the most selective and prestigious schools. For schools like Stanford and Harvard, which accept only 7-10% of the 30,000+ highly qualified students seeking admission each year, SAT Subject Test scores are every bit as important as SAT/ACT scores. Though students will never be admitted to an elite university on the basis of test scores alone, they can certainly be rejected solely on this basis. In other words, when you're competing against the nation's best and brightest, a 2400 on the SAT is meaningless if your SAT II scores are in the 85th percentile. Unfortunately, many students, parents and schools treat the subject tests as an afterthought and believe they require no special preparation. Indeed, the forums of College Confidential and similar sites are filled with parents’ and students’ regrets about not taking the SAT IIs more seriously."

Anonymous
Post 06/29/2015 15:51     Subject: SAT Chem Subject Score
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DC just got 700 in Bio E SAT with same issue / concerns. DC did study and was scoring higher on practice tests.
A 700 is not too shabby!


about 70 %tile.
Percentiles compare students who took the same Subject Test, and are used to find out how students performed on the test. That said, that 700 is a helluva lot better than scoring 600 especially if you have a high GPA to go along with it.