DS took a couple of SAT II tests at the end of his sophomore year, when he wasn’t sure where he might want to apply. Got a 740 on both World History and Biology-E. None of the schools he is ultimately applying to even list the tests as “recommended.” (Think Dickinson, Occidental, etc) ACT and SAT scores were competitive for selective schools, so he doesn’t need to supplement those in any way. Is there any point whatsoever in submitting those SAT II scores? Basically, we are on a quest for merit $$…
You should likely research each of the schools you are considering. If the college does not use subject tests at all you need not send them. Dickinson is one that appears to not use subject tests at all. However, it allows you to self-report your test scores in your application (offical scores are not needed until after you are accepted), and thus it costs nothing more to report them. Though Occidental neither requires nor specifically recommends subject tresta, it does consider subject tests “optional” and thus may give them some consideration to determine admission and also for merit awards. Moreover, you should check if the school relies at all on subject tests to give college credit or placement. For example, Georgia Tech would give you 3 college credits for a World History score of 710 or above.
Last year my D was chasing merit so she submitted SAT subject tests to pretty much all the colleges to which she applied. There were one or two that said “not considered” but she may have sent them anyway – don’t recall for sure. That mIght have been a waste of $ but figured if the scores were seen they might help and if disregarded, oh well.
Read over the college’s web page on admissions carefully, but unless you see a good reason not to, I would submit them. If money is an issue, you could see if your school will add them as part of your transcript or self-report them . At least if the college should later ask for “official” scores, it will be for a good reason.