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As usual, I'm confused. My daughter needs to take the SAT IIs for some of the schools she will apply to. Writing is a given. Math a necessity (but what is the difference between the different math tests for registration purposes??). Does she need to take a 3rd? She doesn't have a definite major in mind yet... for a 3rd, if necessary, she could take either Chemistry (she has had Chemistry I and AP Chem) or History (she is in AP History). Other than studying for AP tests, should she do more for SAT II?

School interest ranges from Michigan, UVA, Wash U, to reaching for Ivys. Her background is a very good grade point and ecs, psat scores in the 97 percentile, ACT 30, SAT first time was 1290ish but after studying she is retaking it in May. Your advice please?

By Dadster (Dadster) on Thursday, April 24, 2003 - 09:07 pm: Edit

Yes, she should take a third - probably in a subject that interests her or that she's good at. She might ask around in the SAT forum here, too, to get some feedback on how challenging other students found the tests she is considering.

By Theasrhs (Theasrhs) on Thursday, April 24, 2003 - 09:28 pm: Edit

Folks around here seem to think taking the SAT II Math IIC is a better strategy than taking the SAT II Math IC. Math IC somehow requires more absolute knowledge, whereas Math IIC somehow seems to be more conceptual. I am not a math person and neither is my daughter, so I'm not real clear on the entire concept. Math IIC seems to require at least trig, though, to have taking it be a successful strategy.

My D took the English Literature SAT II as her third SAT II. Didn't study, didn't do any kind of review -- and got a 740. She reads a lot. Really a lot. And has taken two english classes beyond the 4 required at the local community college.

OTH: she had to get a couple of hours of tutor review to even get a 600 on the MATH IC test.

Don't know about the chemistry or the history, though.

By Jenniferpa (Jenniferpa) on Friday, April 25, 2003 - 06:32 am: Edit

The College Boards publishes Real Sat II's which has samples of the most common Sat II tests. If she looks through that, she should get a feel for how well she could do. Remember, with the exception of the language with listening tests, she can change her mind right up to the day of the test which test she wants to take, so you just have to make sure she's registered for 3, no matter what they are.

By Lhomme (Lhomme) on Sunday, April 27, 2003 - 02:14 pm: Edit

I'm not a parent but I'll toss this tidbit in anyway: from the college applications I did for top tier schools (this is for the entering class of 2007), a large number of them want a science as the third SATII and in many cases will require one. MIT for example wants the Writing, Math (I or IIC) and a Science (although I'm not sure if they required Physics or if thats just the one I sent in). I suggest that she take a Science SAT II even if she plans to take others.

Jenniferpa is also right: you can change and drop tests right up to the minute the test starts so the system if pretty flexible (just make sure she is prepared, score choice has been removed).

By Concerned (Concerned) on Monday, April 28, 2003 - 10:28 am: Edit

Thanks for the advice. We signed her up for Writing, Math IIC, and Chemistry (figured history was more of a crap shoot).

By Quink (Quink) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 11:29 am: Edit

This is an interesting topic - I have not found concrete advice in the admissions books about selecting SAT IIS and/or orchestrating them with the corresponding AP tests. The kids board, by contrast, is full of useful information about the test curves, recommended courses prior to taking the tests, etc. Here's another book for an enterprising college counselor to publish: 'SAT IIs - The Inside Story.' ;)

It seems to me that a student may have to take more than three SATIIs if they are applying to a range of colleges. If the student is strong in a language, for instance, it's probably a good idea to take a language SAT II to demonstrate their knowledge. However, if they are also thinking of a science-oriented major, they should take Chem, Physicis, or Bio - and then there are schools who require Writing and Math.

I've signed my sophomore up for Math IIC in June as he finishes advanced Pre/calc. We've decided to wait on Chem as he is taking AP Chem next year and the kid's board posters advise taking the AP course prior to the test. He adores Latin, so is planning to take that one. So it looks like Math this year and Writing, Chem, and Latin next year.

I am wondering if there is any advantage to taking more SAT IIs, if the student is confident in a number of subjects. Do colleges like to see more tests ('risk-taking'), or do they look at it as overkill ('this student took too many tests - obsessed')? And score choice is now history, correct?