SAT vs GPA: Which Is More Important?

Which is weighted more?

Overall, the SAT is weighed more than your GPA. While the amount your SAT score is considered by admissions officers is different for each college, it is generally weighed as 30-40% of your application. This is because the SAT compares you to students all over the nation, while your GPA only compares you to students in your school. Although GPAs give an understanding of all four years, it can be untrustworthy as workers at schools are the ones computing them. This makes the GPAs biased as the school may inflate them to improve their look to parents of eighth-graders and college admissions officers.

Different schools also teach the same classes at varying levels of difficulty. A biology course in one high school may not be as hard as a biology course at another. An unweighted GPA does not account for the rigorousness of college-level classes. This means that even if Sunny took more rigorous and honors classes, he may have a lower GPA than Washif, who did not take any. On the other hand, the SAT is unbiased because it is administered and graded by a third party, the College Board, and is the same test and level of difficulty for every student across the nation. Also, colleges tend to favor students with high SAT scores because it boosts their statistics, increasing their rankings in and making them look more selective. 

The 4 Scenarios 

Here we’ll talk about your chances and what your SAT and GPA show about you. We’re defining a high SAT score as a 1450 or above. 

High SAT and High GPA

This is the most favorable situation to be in. It shows colleges that you are ready for college-level courses and are hardworking. Make sure to work on the other aspects of your application, essays and extracurriculars, to ensure a higher chance of acceptance to your dream college. 

High SAT and Low GPA

If your SAT score is high, but your GPA is low, admission officers will most likely look over your GPA. They may take your GPA as a sign that you were not adequately engaged or challenged in high school, but your SAT scores prove that you are capable of college-level courses. You should still try to boost your GPA as much as you can to increase your chances of getting in. 

Low SAT and High GPA

Generally, this shows admissions officers that you are diligent and hard working. A low SAT score questions your aptitude and if you are ready for the level of difficulty of college classes. They may also be suspicious about how the school calculates the GPA and if it is inflated. If you have not sent your applications in already, take the SAT one more time. Be sure to study a better way than you had for your previous test. Here are some tips on how to improve your SAT score. If the SAT is not working out for you, try taking the ACT instead. Both are standardized tests that measure aptitude, but the material and structure of the two tests are radically different. If you decide to take the ACT, keep in mind that there are a few colleges that do not accept ACT scores. Check to see if the colleges you are applying to accept them. 

Low SAT and Low GPA

If you are in this position, you should consider taking the SAT one more time and improving your GPA as much as possible before you send your applications. Here are some tips on how to improve your SAT score. If the SAT is not your cup of tea, try taking the ACT. However, if you take the ACT, you should check to see that the colleges you are applying to accept ACT scores. You should make sure your Common Application essay and supplements are perfect. Many colleges take students with a low SAT score and GPA if their essay and supplements are extremely well-written and compelling. Here are some tips to help you with your college essay. You should ask your college counselor if your state has any programs that help students who are economically and academically disadvantaged but have potential. These programs provide students with tutoring and resources to improve their application. A number of esteemed colleges accept students from these programs. In New York, there are two of these programs, EOP and HEOP.  

Conclusion

Although the SAT is weighed more than your GPA, do not overlook that aspect of your application. A good GPA shows that you are dedicated, focused, and diligent. When combined with your transcript, your GPA shows your improvement over time. These are all qualities that admissions officers are looking for in future students. If you and another applicant have similar SAT scores, the one with the higher GPA and better application will be chosen. Remember that college applications are holistic, so put as much effort as possible into all parts of your application—SAT, GPA, essays, and extracurriculars—to ensure that you have a higher chance of getting into your top colleges. 

Strategies to Improve Your SAT Score

The SAT is one of the most important standardized tests in your life. Your score on the test will be a big factor in your college applications. The strategies listed below will help you ace the exam and strengthen your chances of getting into your dream college. 

General Strategies 

Practice Tests

The first step to achieving a high score is figuring out where you are now. Take a practice test under testing conditions. While you are taking the practice test, you should time yourself while being in a quiet area. The SAT is broken up into four sessions. The reading section is 65 minutes long, the writing section is 35 minutes long, the no-calculator math section is 25 minutes long, and the calculator with the math section is 55 minutes long. Make sure to give yourself a 10-minute break in after the reading section and a 10-minute break after the no-calculator math section. After finishing the practice exam, grade yourself honestly and review the questions you got wrong. This will help you learn your weaknesses and strengths and create a study schedule.

You can find multiple SAT practice tests online on the CollegeBoard website and Khan Academy. You can also find some in the back of SAT workbooks, like Kaplan, Barrons, and The Princeton Review. 

Study Schedule 

When creating a study schedule for the SAT, first make sure to set a target score and an estimate of when you want to take the test. This will help you determine how much and how frequently you will study. Khan Academy creates a personalized study schedule for you based on your diagnostic score and test date. You can use this as a template and change it for your personal needs. During your study sessions, you should be learning/reviewing content, doing practice questions, and brushing up on your weak areas. Make sure you set aside time to take a practice test every two weeks to check on your progress. As you get closer to your test date, increase the frequency and time you study. However, don’t study hard the day before the exam. On the day before your test, you should review your weakest topics and rest. 

Timing 

Finishing the sections on time can be difficult at first. You can’t go back to sections once the time is finished. If you’re having trouble completing the reading passage, consider only skimming the passages rather than closely reading it. Most of the questions focus on one word, line, or paragraph that is stated in the question. These answers can all be found from skimming the passage and going back to reread. The only specific questions asked are the ones asking for the meaning of a quote. You only need to read these sections closely. This goes for the SAT grammar section as well. If you’re having trouble completing the math sections, mark and skip any questions that are taking you more than a minute to do so you can come back to them later. 

Strategies  To Improve Your SAT Reading:

If you’re having trouble with the Reading section of the SAT, here are some strategies that can help you improve your score:

Read More 

Most of the SAT passages are about science, social studies, or historical documents. Try reading an article a day from places like The New York Times, The New Yorker, Scientific American, or The Washington Post. Reading these types of articles will improve your reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar significantly. These articles are similar to the passages you will see on your SAT in terms of difficulty and vocabulary. Getting familiar with this reading level will help improve your speed and comprehension during the test. After reading, make sure you understand the main idea and key details of the article. Make sure to also focus on historical passages. Students have difficulty understanding the language in these types of passages. To familiarize yourself with this type of passage, you should read autobiographies and historical documents.

Although reading these articles from the outlets listed above are recommended, you do not have to stick to only these. Reading, in general, will help improve your score. You should make reading, whether it be nonfiction or fiction, a daily habit. Start by reading a book at your level and then build your way up to more difficult texts. Choose books that interest you, as it will make you more inclined to keep up your daily reading. 

 However, if you have less than a month before your SAT, be wary of this strategy as this is a long-term strategy to improve your score and you may not see much improvement by your test day. 

Annotating Passages 

If you’re getting less than 35 questions right in the reading section, you should consider annotating your passages. Questions on the reading section of the SAT typically ask for key ideas, tone, and main ideas. Taking notes on the margins of the passages and underlining important details will improve your reading comprehension by helping you understand the passage. It can also allow you to answer the questions more easily and faster since you already have the answer written in your annotations. Practice doing annotations on your daily articles. 

Vocabulary 

The SAT uses relatively difficult vocabulary. Not knowing what one word means can throw you off your game or make your interpretation of a section/sentence completely incorrect. To prevent this, you should become comfortable using context clues. This way you can easily figure out what an unfamiliar word means. Both the reading and writing sections of the SAT ask vocabulary questions requiring you to choose the meaning of a word from the passage that has multiple meanings. You will have to use context clues to figure out which definition is correct. You can practice this by predicting what an unfamiliar word means before looking it up while reading your daily articles. 

Learning new vocabulary words can also help. Although the SAT no longer requires you to memorize challenging vocabulary, you should still learn vocabulary that is about a medium-level difficulty. You can do this by looking up any words you don’t know during your daily readings. There are also apps available on the app store that will teach you a new SAT vocabulary word every day, like SAT Flashcards: Prep & Vocab by Magoosh. You can find out more information about how to study SAT vocabulary here. 

Ways To Improve Your SAT Writing:

The SAT Writing section focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and editing/revising skills. If you’re having trouble with any of these, consider these strategies: 

Content 

The SAT Writing section focuses on around 50 grammar topics, like sentence structure, sentence modifiers, and style and tone. You can learn these topics from an SAT workbook or online. Remember that you don’t need to memorize the different topics and rules, but be able to use them in practice on the day of the test. After learning how to apply each rule, make sure you get as much practice as you can. Practice problems can be found in workbooks and online. Make sure to check your work and understand why you got a question wrong. An easy way to practice editing and revising is by editing your old essays and writing assignments. 

Ways To Improve Your SAT Math:

If you’re having trouble with the SAT math sections, here are some strategies that can help you: 

Concepts

The SAT math section includes around 30 topics on algebra, basic statistics, nonlinear functions and graphs, and volume. Learn all the topics from workbooks or online. After doing practice problems, determine which concepts you are the weakest in and focus on those. Spread out the days you learn each topic to fit a schedule that works for you. However, make sure you give yourself ample time to review your weakest topics before your SAT test date. Generally, students have trouble with functions, statistics, and number theory. Give yourself double the amount of time to study these concepts than you would any other. If you’re having trouble grasping the concepts, try watching videos surrounding the topics and continue practicing. You do not have to memorize any formulas as most are provided to you on a reference sheet on the day of the test, but make sure you are comfortable using them. 

Shortcuts 

Most math questions on the SAT are straightforward. If you learn shortcuts for each concept, you will be able to work more efficiently. For percentage, algebraic expressions, and word problems, try plugging in an answer choice instead of using a variable. Being familiar with your calculator can also help you easily find correct answers on the calculator section. For example, instead of calculating intercepts by hand, you can graph the equation on your calculator to find the answer. 

Conclusion
At the end of the day, the best way to achieve your target score is to practice as much as possible. Even if you don’t get your target score, don’t get disheartened. Remember you can take the SAT as many times as you need. Learn from your mistakes and work harder next time. If you still can’t improve your SAT score, consider hiring a tutor who can help you with your weak areas. Synergy Prep offers SAT tutoring, where you can take practice tests, receive a breakdown of your scores, and be taught by an experienced instructor. You can find out more about our SAT program and how we can help you achieve the best score possible on the SAT by clicking here.

Specialized High Schools vs Regular Public High Schools

High school is the next big step in your academic career. Choosing where you’ll spend the next four years of your life is a hard decision. One thing that you should consider when choosing high schools is whether you want to go to a Specialized High School or a regular public high school.  You can find out more about which schools would be the best fit for you by clicking here. Specialized High Schools, unlike other public high schools,  can provide their students with a strong education through their ample funding and strong alumni network. The only admission requirement for eight of these high schools is the SHSAT test. Unlike the other specialized high schools, Laguardia High School requires an audition or portfolio for admission. Without further ado, here are the main differences between Specialized High Schools and regular public schools: 

AP Classes:

Advanced Placement Courses are introductory college-level courses you can take in high school. After taking an AP course, you can take the AP test in May. Based on this score, you may receive college credit for the course. This can help you get a headstart in college. Specialized High Schools tend to offer more AP classes than regular high schools. Most also require you to take at least one before you graduate and replace regular courses with AP courses. Many, like Stuyvesant High School, also teach their basic courses at the AP level, making you prepared to take the AP test by the end of the course. Look into what AP courses are offered at any school that you are interested in. 

Electives:

Electives are classes focused on one field or subfield of a subject (i.e. Neurobiology or Multivariable Calculus). Taking these electives can further your knowledge in a field you are interested in, giving you a headstart. It can also differentiate you from other applicants when you are applying to college. Taking difficult courses (college-level electives) and electives in a field you may want to major in will strengthen your college application when the time comes. Because they get more funding, Specialized High Schools offer countless electives. Generally, you can find a list of electives that the school offers on their website. 

Curriculum:

You can also look into schools whose curriculum is specialized in one field. For example, the Bronx Academy for Software Engineering’s curriculum focuses on software engineering and computer science. Multiple schools, like Brooklyn Tech, has a major system. Major systems allow you to choose from a variety of different majors or paths and take courses related to that major. For example, students at Brooklyn Tech in the Architecture major may take courses related to drafting and AutoCAD. You should also consider choosing between STEM and the liberal arts. Schools like Bronx Science specialize in the STEM fields, while schools like Brooklyn Latin specialize in the humanities.

College Preparation:

The ultimate goal of high school is to get into your ideal college. You’ll want to go to a high school that prepares you well for what’s ahead. Make sure the high schools you’re going to have a designated college office that works to help you get into your choice of college. These offices will provide you with resources, like help with college applications and organizing college trips. You should also consider going to a school with a good reputation. Specialized High Schools have a good reputation among top colleges for providing good students. This makes colleges more likely to accept students from Specialized High Schools. The rigorous curriculum at Specialized High Schools makes you prepared for the difficulty of college. Students who have graduated from Specialized High Schools and moved onto college have noted that college is easier than high school.

Clubs/Teams: 

Extracurricular activities are activities you do outside of the classroom, including clubs, teams, and student governments. Participating in them will strengthen your college application. Based on your extracurriculars, colleges can have a holistic understanding of who you are as a person and your goals. Extracurriculars can also help you get involved in activities that strengthen your knowledge in your academic and career interests. Schools with more funding have more extracurriculars because they can spread money to support their clubs and teams. 

Competitiveness: 

The social environment of your school can heavily influence your grades and achievements in high school. You will want to consider what type of environment works best for you. Do you thrive in a competitive environment or do you prefer less pressure?  You may also want to consider the fact that while you may be at the top of your middle school, going to a specialized high school, like Stuyvesant will most likely mean you are no longer at the top. This is known as the small fish in a big pond effect. The opposite effect is known as the big fish in a small pond. If you go to a smaller school, you are more likely to stand out and be at the top. Factors that you should look into when determining the competitiveness of a school are the class sizes, number of students per grade, graduation rate, and the percent of students that take college-level courses. However, you should think about who you want to be surrounded with. Even if you are no longer the top student, you will be surrounded by people who are as driven as you, pushing you to work harder. 

The Best Non-Specialized Public High Schools

The best non-specialized public high schools tend to be screened. Screened schools are schools that look at your grades, attendance, and test scores from 7th grade to determine your admission. Some also require you to complete an interview or hand in a portfolio. Here’s a list of some of the best public schools in the city: 

• Bard High School Early College: Bard is a unique high school that allows you to graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associates Degree. Their curriculum allows you to finish two years of college by the time you graduate from high school. There are two campuses: Manhattan and Queens. Bard requires applicants to take an entrance exam and to complete an interview. 

• Beacon High School: Beacon’s curriculum focuses on college preparatory. It offers countless AP and Honors level courses, while also boasting hundreds of different clubs and teams. Unlike most schools, Beacon requires students to complete Performance-Based Assessments/Projects to pass the course. Beacon requires applicants to complete an interview and submit a portfolio of their work. 

• Townsend Harris High School: Townsend Harris’ curriculum focuses on the liberal arts. However, they still have a strong STEM program. All courses at Townsend Harris are Honors level. They also offer a Senior Bridge Year at Queens College, allowing students to complete 12 college credits. Townsend Harris requires that all applicants must have a 90% average or higher. 

• New Explorations Into Science, Technology + Math: Since their opening in 2001, NEST+m has had 100% of their graduates move on to college. Their curriculum is STEM-based and students are required to complete 60 hours of community service by the time they graduate. NEST+m also has a partnership with the College Now program at Hunter College, allowing their students to take college courses while in high school. 

Deciding where you’ll go to high school is a difficult task. Make sure to take every factor into account when making your list. If you still need some help deciding where to go, you can find more information that can help you here or come in for consulting at Synergy Prep. At the end of the day, remember that even if you don’t get into your top choice, it’s not about what high school you go to, but rather how well you perform at your schools and how well you use the resources that have been provided to you. 

Useful tips on how to write a good College Essay

The personal essay is one of the components of the Common Application for college admissions. While it isn’t weighted as heavily as factors such as grades and standardized test scores, your personal essay can indeed make or break your application. A strong essay can set you ahead of students who have similar grades and SAT/ACT scores as you. Likewise, a weak essay can undermine an otherwise stellar application.

The personal essay is a space to showcase your character, personality, and story to admissions officers. It paints a more holistic picture of who you are as a person beyond the stats.

Guidelines

Choose one of the provided Common App essay prompts and respond in 650 words or less. These are the prompts for the 2018-2019 admissions season:

1.      Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2.      The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3.      Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4.      Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5.      Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6.      Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7.      Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Essay Writing Tips

-          Take the time to brainstorm. It may be the case that none of the prompts speak to you immediately. That’s okay. Go through each prompt and jot down some notes on potential topics you can write about for each one. Then narrow it down to a topic on which you have a significant story to tell.

-          Organization is everything. Always outline before you begin writing. Outlining looks different for everyone – find an outlining method that works for you and organize your ideas in a coherent and logical manner.

-          Use concrete examples. It’s not enough to state that you are passionate about environmental issues. Instead, highlight an experience that illustrates how you are passionate about environmental issues. Be specific and detailed in your examples.

-          Analyze, don’t just summarize. Don’t spend the bulk of your essay merely describing an anecdote. You should certainly give an overview of the situation at hand, but the majority of the essay should be spent reflecting on the meaning and impact of the situation, rather than simply summarizing what happened.

-          Use sophisticated vocabulary. Since your essay is used to determine your college readiness, it’s important to utilize college-level vocabulary. That said, make sure you are using these vocabulary words correctly as well!

-          Avoid bragging. Many students use their college essay as little more than a chance to show off one or more of their impressive accomplishments. This is a wasted opportunity. Your essay is a space to demonstrate to colleges that you are a thoughtful and self-aware person who can analyze their experiences from a place of humility. While it’s wonderful that you scored the winning point and led your varsity basketball team to victory, what did you learn from that experience?

-          Proofread, proofread, proofread. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation are non-negotiable.

-          Get feedback. Give your essay to a few qualified individuals you trust, such as your college counselor or English teacher. Having these additional perspectives will enable you to view your essay more objectively and identify potential areas of improvement you may not have considered on your own. Use the constructive criticism from others to help you revise your essay as you see fit.

Above all, write about what matters to you. If you truly care about the story you are telling, your integrity will demonstrate itself on the page. A genuine, well-crafted personal essay can only strengthen your college application.

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SAT vs ACT: Which one should you take?

The SAT and the ACT are two exams used for college admissions. To get into the vast majority of colleges in the US, you have to submit a score from one of the two exams. Although the SAT is more popular, the ACT is equally valid. While you can certainly take both, it’s worth exploring the two options to see which is the better fit for your abilities.

The SAT

• What’s on it? The SAT consists of a Math section, an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, and an optional Essay section.

• How long is the test? The test is three hours long. If you choose to complete the optional Essay section, the test is three hours and fifty minutes in total.

• How is it scored? The Math section and the Reading and Writing section are each scored on a scale from 200 to 800, giving you a total score out of 1600. If you write the Essay, you receive a separate score for that.

The ACT

• What’s on it? The ACT consists of four sections: English, Reading, Math, and Science. It also includes an optional Writing Test.

• How long is the test? The test is 2 hours and 55 minutes long. If you choose to take the Writing Test, the test is three hours and thirty-five minutes long in total.

• How is it scored? Each section is scored on a scale from 1 to 36, giving you a composite score that is also on a scale from 1 to 36. You receive a separate score for the optional Writing Test.

Which test should I take?

The first step in choosing the right test is to take a practice test for each one. Take both an SAT practice test and an ACT practice test, and compare your scores. That being said, there are several key factors that may encourage you to choose one test over another.

Why you might choose to take the SAT:

1. You get anxious about time constraints. The ACT gives you far less time per question than the SAT on every section, making it feel more like a race against time.

2. You can write an excellent analytical essay. The optional SAT Essay asks you to read and analyze an author’s argument. If evidence-based analytical writing is one of your strengths, this may be the test for you.

3. You prefer reading questions to appear in chronological order. On the SAT, reading questions are organized in the order they appear in the passage. ACT reading questions, on the other hand, are not organized in passage-based chronological order.

4. You are comfortable with grid-in math questions. The SAT contains several math questions where you have to produce your own answer instead of selecting one of the assigned choices. The SAT might be the right option if you’re okay with solving math problems that are not multiple-choice.

5. You have a strong grasp on vocabulary. Generally, the SAT Reading and Writing sections contain more challenging, higher-order vocabulary than the ACT English and Reading sections.

Why you might choose to take the ACT:

1. You are comfortable with science. Unlike the SAT, the ACT features a science section. Consider taking the ACT if you like and excel in analyzing graphs and experimental hypotheses and results.

2. You are comfortable with geometry and trigonometry. ACT math includes a much higher proportion of geometry questions than SAT math, and a slightly higher proportion of trigonometry questions as well.

3. You can write an excellent opinion-based essay. Unlike the SAT Essay in which you analyze an argument, the ACT Writing Test asks you to produce your own argument. That is, you must state your opinion on a topic, and provide examples to support it.

4. You don’t mind memorizing math formulas. Unlike the SAT, the ACT does not provide a diagram of formulas for the Math section, which means all essential formulas need to be memorized.

5. You are not comfortable doing math without a calculator. While the SAT contains a No Calculator math section, you can use a calculator for all ACT math questions. 

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What colleges look at: The importance of taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program that allows you to take college-level courses while still in high school. At the end of each AP class, you can take the corresponding AP exam and potentially earn college credit for the class.

There are 38 AP exams in total, but the number of AP exams offered varies from school to school. Many high schools do not offer any AP classes or exams at all.

When choosing a high school to attend, it’s important to consider whether AP classes and exams are offered, and if so, which ones.

Without further ado, the 3 biggest reasons why you should take APs are:

1.      They prepare you for college. AP classes generally function like introductory-level college courses. In other words, they’re designed to be more challenging than your average high school classes.

For instance, AP US History is a lot more analytical than the standard Regents US History offered at most NYC high schools. The AP version goes further than what happened in American history – it puts a lot more emphasis on the how and why, and focuses on broader themes. Classes like this can help you get accustomed to the type of analytical thinking that is regularly expected of you in college-level work.

2.      You can earn college credit. If you get an adequate score on an AP exam, many colleges will offer you credit in that subject. (An adequate score generally means at least a 3 or 4, depending on the school.)

In many cases, earning college credit for AP’s will exempt you from taking certain introductory courses in college. For example, a sufficient score on one of the AP Calculus exams may allow you to skip entry-level Calculus in college and go straight into a more advanced math course instead.

 3.      You’ll have an edge in college admissions. If your high school offers AP classes and exams, colleges will pay attention to whether you took advantage of them.

Taking AP classes and doing well on the corresponding AP exams shows colleges that you are motivated, capable, and ready for college-level academic work. AP classes and exam scores strengthen your college application and make you a more favorable candidate.

Overall, AP classes enrich your high school academic experience and challenge you to think more critically. At the same time, they give you a head start in your college career by offering college credit and letting you place out of introductory courses.

If you’re applying to high schools right now, pay close attention to the AP offerings at your prospective schools. Do they offer any AP classes at all? If so, do they offer AP classes you may want to take in particular, based on your interests and potential career goals?

If you’re in high school at the moment, plan ahead with regards to which AP classes and exams you intend to take and when. And of course, diligent studying and test prep will help you do well in these challenging classes, and achieve your desired scores on the exams!

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SAT Subject Tests Breakdown: Which ones should I take?

The SAT Subject Tests are standardized tests given by the College Board on individual academic subjects.

Here are your options for the SAT Subject Tests:

• Math: Level 1, Level 2

• Science: Chemistry, Physics, Biology (Ecological/Molecular)

• English: Literature

• History: US History, World History

• Language: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Modern Hebrew, Latin, Spanish with Listening, French with Listening, German with Listening, Chinese with Listening, Korean with Listening, Japanese with Listening

Why take SAT Subject Tests?

There are a number of reasons to take SAT Subject Tests, one being that many selective colleges require them. In many cases you are expected to submit two Subject Test scores, in addition to your SAT or ACT score. Subject Tests are also a great way to highlight your academic strengths and showcase your competence in a subject. They can also be used to signal your interest and commitment to a specific college major/program. For instance, if you’re applying to programs in engineering, you should emphasize your strengths in math and science. In that case, a good idea would be to take the Math Level 2 test, as well as a science test such as Chemistry or Physics.

Which SAT Subject Tests should I take?

When deciding which SAT Subject Tests to take, consider which academic subjects you excel in and are most comfortable with. Take the tests in which you’re confident about getting a good score! In addition, you can choose your tests according to what you want to major in. Here are some Subject Test recommendations based on your intended major or career track:

• Engineering/computer science: Math Level 2, Physics

• Pre-med: Biology, Chemistry, Math Level 1 or 2

• Pre-law: English Literature, US History, World History

• Finance/business: Math Level 1 or 2

• Humanities: English Literature, US History, World History, any Language test

If you’re unsure about your prospective major, you can choose your tests based on the general area of study you may be interested in. It’s also wise to take a careful look at the admissions requirements of the colleges and specific programs you are interested in applying to – several colleges ask that you submit at least one score from a humanities test (e.g. Literature, World History) and one from a math/science test (e.g. Math Level 2, Chemistry). Specific programs within schools can also have their own special requirements.

Should I take science Subject Tests if I’ve taken the ACT?

While the ACT contains a science section, this is not meant to serve as a substitute for the science Subject Tests. The ACT science section assesses your general ability to think scientifically, rather than the specific content of your scientific knowledge. If you want to showcase your specialized knowledge in a science subject, you should take one or more of the Subject Tests in Chemistry, Physics, or Biology – even if you have taken the ACT and scored well on the science section.

SAT Subject Tests are an additional component of your college application that illustrate your skills and interests. Whether they are recommended or required by the colleges you’d like to apply to, it’s worthwhile to prepare for and take at least two Subject Tests to strengthen your college application.

What is considered a good score on the SAT Subject Tests?

In general, a good score on the SAT subject test would be anything above a 700. However, each subject test has a different average score.  For example, the average score for the Math Level II SAT subject test is 694. It’s not enough to just be above average though. We encourage that you try your best and shoot for a perfect score. That’s why, as we stated earlier, it is important that you choose subject tests that complement your strengths. The higher the score, the better.

You should also set a target score for yourself. Your target score will depend on which colleges you are interested in applying to. Research what the average SAT subject test scores are for those colleges and aim to get a much higher score than the average.

If you want statistics on the SAT subject tests, check out this article from PrepScholar. 

How should you study for the SAT Subject Tests?

 As with any standardized exam, it is recommended that you start preparing several months beforehand, if not longer. The SAT and ACT are two major exams that you should start studying for during the summer of your sophomore year going into junior year. Continue studying throughout your junior year and eventually take your first exam in the winter or spring. This way if you aren’t happy with your score the first time around, you can take it again in the fall of your senior year. Generally, we don’t recommend taking the SAT or ACT more than three times.

Give yourself ample amount of time to study and get the material down. The same applies to your subject tests. However, you don’t need to study for the tests over the span of a year. You can start studying for the test 2-3 months in advance. First take a diagnostic exam to see where you stand. Your study schedule will depend on what your score is.

Choosing a subject test that complements your strengths, a good workbook, and self-studying should be enough for you to do well on the exam. However, if you feel that you can’t grasp the concepts, finding a tutor is always an option. Synergy Prep also has a great course on SAT and SAT subject tests that you can check out here. 

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