Hello. My son is a strong tester, and has consistently high (770-800) scores on all SAT I sections over several sittings, and 3 out of 4 SAT II tests. The 4th subject test, physics, he got a 700. I believe this is 50th percentile or so.
Many schools like Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard suggest that all tests scores are submitted, but do not require it. All of them are score choice for subject tests. Other schools like Stanford allow score choice for subject tests, but require entire testing history for SAT I.
My son is thinking about economics as a major, not engineering or science.
Should he submit all test scores, even the physics? Do schools note or appreciate the full disclosure and honesty of submitting all, or do you think a computer program just populates a form with the highest scores?
I’d just go ahead and submit them all. He’s got three very high subject tests which is already more than required and that 700 is nothing to be ashamed of. Generally only the strongest science students take it so, the percentiles are a bit skewed, but it’s really a fine score. No admissions office is going to say, lets reject him because of one subject test score.
We’re facing a similar situations at two schools who similarly recommend, but don’t require all test scores. We’re omitting one sitting of the SAT reasoning test. If they want all scores, they should require all scores. Otherwise, from our standpoint, they’ll get the ones that reflect best on our applicant.
What advantage is there in sending that physics score?
I can see both perspectives. It just seems like, in this age of hyper competitive admissions, why send a score that doesn’t fully reflect the strength or story of the candidate? Unless the school sincerely appreciates the honesty and openness of full disclosure.
Another school whose score policy caught my eye is Yale. Last year, they required all scores of every SAT I and II - full testing history. This year, they want all SAT I but allow score choice on the SAT II since they made the SAT II optional. But I have read again and again that “optional” is not really optional for most candidates. So it got me wondering, do they really want all scores from those candidates who have taken SAT IIs?
I would love to see what actually happens in the admissions system. I suspect that only the top two SAT II scores are populated in the files anyway.
However much the schools appreciate the honesty and openness of full disclosure, how could they possibly know whether a kid has submitted all scores or not?
Not being argumentative, but that’s what makes no sense to me. My son will submit one SAT I score set and two SAT II tests. He took an earlier SAT I, but it was so early that it would not be unreasonable to think that his submitted set (from March of his junior year) was the first (and only) time he took the test.