<p>I’m going to be a senior this fall, and I will be applying to Harvard, Stanford, UPenn, Columbia, Yale, Georgetown, etc. For international relations or international business. </p>
<p>I recently took the us history subject test and got a 680. My other subject test scores are:</p>
<p>Bio: 760
Chem: 800
Math: 800
Chinese with listening: 800
Spanish: 760
Literature: 720</p>
<p>Should I retake us history in the fall of senior year? Will the low score hurt my chances of getting into the Huntsman program at Penn or the Walsh school at Georgetown or even other super selective schools?</p>
<p>Thanks for your input!</p>
<p>What was the point of taking so many subject tests in the first place? It seems kind of silly, and it’s also a tremendous waste of money.</p>
<p>Anyway, you are where you are…
One real worry I have is that by taking so many subject tests, you are demonstrating that you’re “that kid” who only cares about his scores. Really, completing this many subject tests was overkill, especially since they (often) don’t give you the credit that AP tests do.</p>
<p>So, this makes me ambivalent:
-Taking the test once more reaffirms that you care too much, where as your other tests already show a proven understanding in many core subjects. However, if you’re applying to schools with Score Choice, I would definitely retake it in order to remain consistent.
-For Huntsman, DO NOT retake it. By not retaking it, you show that you’re not “that nerd” who only cares about perfect scores. In fact, not retaking it could prove to be an asset. I’m using reverse logic here, but I think it’s a reasonable answer.</p>
<p>On an unrelated note, I’m sad to see so many bright students go into business just to make money on wall street, instead of doing international business (props to Mavmunk – good for you) or combining science with business. Life isn’t just about making money; there are a lot of people out there who need help, unemployment is through the rough, and our society could be perceived as crumbling. Business can be an empowering tool that, in the right hands, is used to make a real difference. We’re the bright minds that need to CONTRIBUTE to society, not TAKE from it; too many intelligent students on this forum are going down paths where the focus is on the latter.</p>
<p>Sorry for the tangential rant, Mav.</p>
<p>Hi, thanks for answering my question so promptly. 
</p>
<p>I took the subject test b/c my college counselor (private school) recommended lit, span, and us history to supplement my science/math-heavy record (and I’m chinese, so that doesn’t really help me there.). I do regret taking history though because I wasn’t sure if I was prepared enough.</p>
<p>I took Calc BC, US History, Phys C: Mechanics, Spanish Language, and English Language APs this past May, and I think I did pretty well on those (4-5, except maybe physics).</p>
<p>Would a 5 on the US History AP counterbalance the 680 subject test?</p>
<p>I think subject tests are to hep you and not hurt you. So I think you have enough subject tests there to help you.</p>
<p>From what I hear, colleges tend to prefer higher AP scores over subject tests. APs tend to require deeper knowledge on the subject. Either way, you have tons of good scores in the first place. No need to worry!</p>