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<p>As an international EC, I know that this is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. SAT’s matter a great deal for international applicants. It is very hard to know all of the details of every school that any applicant might apply from. There are a huge number of different options for secondary education. Does an international applicant take the IB, or A-levels or (since you are from Oz) South Australia Matriculation (SAM). If they are taking A-levels, then there is a huge discrepancy between say a Cambridge A-Level, Nigerian A-level and a Hong Kong A-level. </p>
<p>The ONLY exam that every applicant has to take is the SAT, and for that reason it is very very important for international applicants. That being said, MollieB is quite right (as always) that there is no appreciable difference between a 780 and an 800, You should not fret about the odd 40 points here or there, but there is a significant difference for example between a 620 and a 750. Given that the international admit rate last year was 3.38%, you would be foolish to discount the SATs.</p>
<p>Also be aware that your secondary school curriculum might not be the same as the US curriculum for SAT 2 subject tests. For example, in my country, it is not uncommon for high school students to know a great deal more about circuits and systems than their US counterparts, but to never have encountered special relativity. Then when they take SAT subject test in physics they can be quite surprised by the questions that have them approaching the speed of light. It is important to take a look at the syllabus covered by the SAT subject tests and to ensure that you are ready for them.</p>