<p>Why do some highly selective colleges require you to either take the SAT + Subject Tests OR the ACT alone? Why do the people who take the ACT not have to take subject tests? It seems almost as if some colleges are subliminally favoring the ACT.</p>
<p>Other than it goes back many years, the why is not really known for many. Likely it has something to do with the idea that the ACT is considered more of a test of what you might have actually learned in high school courses, similar to what SAT subject tests apply to and thus they feel it can replace subject tests. For ones that have had the division for a very long time, it may reflect a decison made way back when there were some states that had the ACT but the SAT and subject tests were not readily available and the colleges did not want to preclude those students from applying. More interesting is that there are colleges that have adopted the distinction more recently; for example Rice for years required subject tests regardless of whether you submitted SAT or ACT and a couple years ago switched to allowing the ACT in lieu of both SAT and SAT IIs. That would seem to indicate a modern belief that the ACT is in fact at least just as good as having both SAT and SAT subject tests. It obviously does create the opportunity for many to not take subject tests if they take the ACT and thus gives them that “testing” advantage. What it may also partly reflect is that the colleges, unlike many students, don’t believe that admissions tests are the most important thing on the face of the earth that determine who is smarter than another, and are instead just one factor for admission and usually less of a factor than course work and grades.</p>
<p>Research shows that adding more required standardized tests lowers the application rate of URMs and lower income students. Colleges are concerned about not creating too many barriers to entry for these applicants, especially those from the Midwest where the SAT and Subject tests are much less commonly taken.
Students who don’t fall into the category of URM or low income, first generation college applicants should probably submit the recommended Subject tests, along with an SAT or ACT score or both. I have seen too many ambitious applicants who only submitted a good ACT score denied admission to competitive colleges. “ACT only required” may not mean you if you attend a private prep school or top public high school.</p>
<p>I don’t know, but it’s BS. You have to spend all that money on either the ACT or SAT, plus subject tests means you gotta be making some serious bank.</p>