Should I take SAT subject test or try to improve my SAT 1420 score?Answered
Hi, I have a 1420 SAT score, and have one more chance on Nov 7th . Should I use it to improve my general SAT score or should I go for Subject Test. Which one will be more valuable?
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2 answers
It honestly depends on which colleges you're planning on applying to. If you're not in or above the range of SAT scores for accepted applicants, I would take the SAT again.
Plus, no school requires subject tests this year, and in the past, only the Ivies and other incredibly competitive schools cared about subject tests. So, I don't know how much of an impact they would have on your application this year, especially if you're not planning on applying to schools that required them in the past.
Additionally, if you have only taken the SAT a couple of times (less than three) or you're scores are varying a lot between tests, I would definitely recommend taking the normal SAT again because you may get very lucky.
One last thought about the subject tests is it depends on which ones you are taking. If you are taking the English one and the Math 1 one, I recommend either taking different ones or the SAT again.
With so many colleges going test-optional, a good general SAT score can help you stand out. However, you could do a subject test to try and make your application stand out even more (as not many current seniors have taken SAT subject tests and it will be impressive if you score high), or you could do a subject test to sort of make up for a bad grade in a class (ex. You got a C or B in your chemistry class, so you take the chemistry subject test and do well to show that the low grade wasn't an accurate representation of the subject material). In the end, it's up to you, and I recommend taking a practice subject test and seeing how you score and then deciding if it's worth it to do the subject test or just work towards improving your general SAT score.
Also, a 1420 is a good score! You can also look at the middle 50% scores for the accepted students at the colleges you're applying to and decide if it would help you to improve your score (ex. if a 1420 is lower than their middle 50% range, you will probably want to improve your score or go test-optional).
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Just wanted to add that Subject Tests have gotten less and less important, and some top schools won't even consider them this cycle, like Yale and Amherst. If you're applying to top schools, I would forget about the Subject Tests and focus on the SAT!