I’ve e-mailed some colleges I am interested in but their responses have generally been unhelpful. I am sure they have tons of questions to sift through so I don’t blame them.
I have query to which I’d appreciate some thoughts. I took French, Psychology and Physical Education for A-level and I graduated about a month ago with 3 A*'s. I took the French with listening subject test and scored a 770. That’s 1 subject ticked of the list. However, I am unsure which other subject test to take for colleges that require 2 in total.
It seems I am at a disadvantage if I have to take another subject test. The tests are designed to be a chance to show of one’s knowledge in a particular subject, but the subjects remaining are those in which I have no knowledge (in the sense that I have not studied them for an extended period of time).
Generally the answers I have been given have not gone beyond ‘regardless of what you have done, we require two’ which seems unfair.
Will my application be viewed as incomplete if I only submit the score of my French with listening by colleges which require two?
Should I consider taking the ‘normal’ French subject test just to fulfill admissions requirements?
The number of universities that require 2 subject tests is relatively small, especially if you submit the ACT with writing instead of the SAT.
You should be able to do well enough in a subject that you did well on in GCSE’s (assuming that’s what you took). If you are applying from the UK it would be a surprise if you couldn’t do well in English or Math 1, with not much revision.
Taking 2 French subject tests will not help- it’s a duplicate.
Short answer: if any university says that two things are required, and you submit one, yes your application is incomplete.
I did not take GSCE’s. My education has been interrupted several times, due to illness and moving country. I have not taken maths in over 3 years and English in over 2.
I will look into taking the Literature subject test and also the ACT
It might be a good idea to brush up on the subjects you haven’t had in a while, as many American universities have general education requirements that mean you will need to take English, math, science, etc. Not taking such core subjects since two or three years ago doesn’t sound like it makes you very prepared…?
American universities won’t be very sympathetic to this argument. The SATs test fairly basic knowledge in a subject, in the sense that none assume AP-level training (think AS-level in a British context). With sufficient practice, any strong candidate to the top universities should be able to do well on several of them.
Math would be the most obvious choice for your second subject test for several reasons. First, you’ll already have to brush up on math for the general SAT reasoning test (or ACT). Second, your choice of A-levels raises concerns about your preparation to succeed in quantitative coursework. Best to address that concern head-on.
I understand that the material tested may be fairly basic and that with sufficient practice I should be able to well in them. Indeed, I’d like to believe that anyone with sufficient practice in anything should perform well in whatever is being studied.
Math does seem like a good option, and I have indeed brushing up on my maths for a few weeks now.
May I ask what exactly raises concerns about my ‘preparation to succeed in quantitative coursework’? Are you familiar with the syllabi of the A-levels I have studied?
What will you be applying for? Exercise Science or Kinesiology? Because otherwise Physical Education will not “count”. Psychology will matter if you plan on studying social sciences (also for exercise science) but only French will be considered “strong” for a liberal arts major. You’ll have to provide your GCSE’s or equivalent (O’Levels, DNB, anything you took before A Levels).
Take the Literature subject test as well as a math subject test, reviewing material from before your A -Levels and using prep books that prepare specifically for these subject tests.