SAT IIs

[lileus717]

Some universities (mainly Ivy League) have SAT IIs as a requirement and this requirement applies to IB students as well.

Has anyone had an experience or thinks that its possible to get in Ivy League without subject SATs?

[iMuffinsx3]

There are some cases where the subject test is waived for students who have taken the ACT with writing as seen on the Yale admissions site:

http://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing

After doing some digging I think technically you can skip out on subject tests, but only if you've taken the ACT with writing.

But it's suggested to take subject tests regardless,

If you do well it's an opportunity to show the universities just how well you can excel in certain subjects! (:

[lileus717]

Thanks! that's what I think too.

[Matthew Sinclair]

I'm going to say that for the Ivy Leagues you're just going to have to take the SAT IIs. They have a couple of exceptions, although I think it's easier just to do them. You should be able to do a language and math one, right? Math Level 1 is good for SL and Math Level 2 for HL, although with both the content is different from IB so you will need to revise. And from experience, the language SATs don't seem too hard. I did French SAT II after 3 years of high school French and a bit of extra study/practice and I got a 720.

SATs are extremely important (unfortunately), so make sure you get some good results for both the SAT Reasoning and the SAT IIs. Good luck! and study hard!

[adletaY]

Yes, try to do 2-3 for the Ivy League and other top-notch universities because for some reason they like to see them.

If you want to take one in Maths, I recommend Math II, because its curve is far more lenient than that of Math I (Miss 5-7 pts for an 800 vs miss 2pts for an 800) and both are covered in SL, save a tiny bit of complex numbers, which you can teach yourself.

I already did Math II, now I have to sit Biology and Chemistry this October (the 1st).

[lileus717]

Yes, try to do 2-3 for the Ivy League and other top-notch universities because for some reason they like to see them.

If you want to take one in Maths, I recommend Math II, because its curve is far more lenient than that of Math I (Miss 5-7 pts for an 800 vs miss 2pts for an 800) and both are covered in SL, save a tiny bit of complex numbers, which you can teach yourself.

I already did Math II, now I have to sit Biology and Chemistry this October (the 1st).

Oh, so you know the SAT dates for next year?

[lileus717]

I'm going to say that for the Ivy Leagues you're just going to have to take the SAT IIs. They have a couple of exceptions, although I think it's easier just to do them. You should be able to do a language and math one, right? Math Level 1 is good for SL and Math Level 2 for HL, although with both the content is different from IB so you will need to revise. And from experience, the language SATs don't seem too hard. I did French SAT II after 3 years of high school French and a bit of extra study/practice and I got a 720.

SATs are extremely important (unfortunately), so make sure you get some good results for both the SAT Reasoning and the SAT IIs. Good luck! and study hard!

Oh my god! you got 43?! Are you literally Matthew Sinclair? ))))

I'm planning on math and french too! Do you know the French Language Exams called DELF? If so, out of that which one would SAT French be? B1?

[Matthew Sinclair]

Yes I am literally Matthew Sinclair hahaha why? Do you know me?

I think it would be around B1, yes. To be honest, it could almost be A2 in my opinion...ok maybe not that low...but it's really not hard. Especially if you familiarise yourself with the test! There are a few things they like to test very often, so purchase an SAT French subject test revision guide and you'll be at an advantage

Which level of IB French are you doing? How long have you been doing it for/how are you going in it?

By the way, the SAT dates for next year should be available on the collegeboard.com. If they aren't available yet, assume they are similar to this year. They always are in the same month. I think it's: march, may, july(?), october, november, december, january, february? I'm not sure though!

Also, for the SAT, you need to have an account on the collegeboard.com. That's how you register, pay, receive and send scores, and get lots of info

Good luck!

Edited May 16, 2011 by Matthew Sinclair

[Guest Red XII]

Many of the schools only require the SAT IIs if you're submitting the SAT but not the ACT with Writing.

You can skip the subject tests if they're asking for (SAT and two SAT IIs) or (ACT with Writing). You'll need to send them to complete your application (otherwise they won't review it) if their requirement is (SAT or ACT) and two SAT IIs. If you're unsure, you can email the admissions office.

If you think you can do well on them, though, send them regardless of whether they're a requirement, because the top-ranked schools really like seeing strong SAT IIs.

I'd stay away from the language SAT IIs unless you're extremely good. Lots of people take these in languages they're fluent in, so the expectations end up being fairly high. I'm doing quite well in IB German (looking at a 6 on HL), but did quite poorly on the SAT II (even though I usually score extremely well on standardized tests).

[CocoPop]

Many of the schools only require the SAT IIs if you're submitting the SAT but not the ACT with Writing.

This is true, and you can find a full list of schools that have this policy here:

http://www.compassprep.com/admissions_req_subjects.aspx

There are a few big ones like Yale that allow you to take ACT + Writing as a substitute for SAT I + II.