Dear students/parents,

Please read the following information about SAT Subject Tests (also known as the SAT 2s).

First, make sure that the colleges you’ll be applying to will even require SAT Subject Tests. 

• If your child ultimately prefers the ACT to the SAT—he/she might not even need to take SAT Subject Tests at all! Many colleges will let a student use ACT scores instead of both the SAT I and SAT Subject Tests. Other colleges will allow a student to use ACT scores instead of only the SAT 1
  
  
• The best way to check the testing requirements for any college is to research on the college’s website. Do a Google Search: “Name of College and standardized testing requirements”
  
  
• If you're sure that you'll go the SAT route—in addition to or instead of the ACT—first make sure that your top-choice schools even require SAT Subject Tests. Perhaps over the winter holiday, you can look up the SAT SUBJECT TEST policies for your top 5 or 10 colleges online. Here are 2 good websites that list the SAT SUBJECT TEST requirements for various colleges:

· http://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-list-of-colleges-that-require-sat-subject-tests

· http://www.compassprep.com/admissions_req_subjects.aspx. Since every school has its own policy (and policies change from year to year), you shouldn’t take this website as definitive. But at least the website provides links to each college’s website, if you want to verify.

The most competitive schools will require 2—and in rare cases, 3— different SAT Subject Tests. If a college requires only 2 tests, you might want to take three tests anyway, to have a safety cushion in case one test score is not totally to your liking. Many schools will require specific tests—usually in a core subject like math; literature; or, if you’re applying to an engineering program, a science and Math Level 2. Most schools, however, let you pick which 2 or 3 tests to take.

Khoifucius’s Hint: In general, you should take any Subject Tests required by your colleges—and the tests in your strongest subject areas.

There are 21 SAT Subject Tests you can take:

• Literature, U.S. History, World History, Math Level 1, Math Level 2 (only up to Pre-Calc), Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, French Reading, French Reading with Listening, German Reading, German Reading with Listening, Spanish Reading, Spanish Reading with Listening, Modern Hebrew Reading, Italian Reading, Latin Reading with Listening, Japanese Reading with Listening, Korean Reading with Listening, Chinese Reading with Listening, and the English Language Proficiency Test.  (The only schools that require 3 different SAT Subject Tests are Georgetown, Harvard, and Dartmouth, and a few others.)

When should I take the Subject Tests?

• In general, you should wait until you’ve learned as much of the curriculum in a particular subject BEFORE taking the Subject Test.
  
  

• Your teachers at school might encourage you to take a Math or Science Subject Test at the end of 9^th or 10^th grade. But you should do so if and only if, during 9th or 10^th grade, you took a full course in AP Bio or AP Chem or AP World History. If you “only” took, say, Advanced Bio for freshmen, I recommend that you do NOT take the Bio Subject Test after freshman year. Why? Because you’d have to compete with other students—juniors or seniors—who already took a full course of AP Bio or are in the midst of taking AP Bio. What you can do is wait until later, after you’ve taken AP Bio, to take the subject test in Bio. If you will not take AP Bio for the rest of high school, I suggest that you pick a different Subject test. (Again, you should take the Subject Tests only for your strongest 2 or 3 subject areas.)
  Note: Some of you might think, “I want to take a subject test just to get some practice with Subject tests.”

I still think this strategy is problematic because not every college that you apply to will allow you to “hide” a mediocre score.

• Sophomores/Juniors: if you’re currently taking an AP course—let’s say AP Physics or AP U.S. History—and you’re doing well, then one of your SAT Subject Tests should be in that subject area. And you should designate May of your junior year for your SAT Subject Test date, since it’ll be helpful to take the AP test and the SAT Subject Test in the same week.
  
  
• Sophomore/Juniors who are taking AP classes, it’s to your advantage to take the SAT Subject test in that subject area as soon as you finish the AP class. What you do NOT want to do is wait until senior year to take the SAT Subject test in US History or AP Physics. Why? You don’t want to go back and re-learn all those facts and formulas.
  
  
• For certain Subject Tests, however, it might be to your advantage to wait until the fall of senior year to take the test. Consider waiting until senior year for the following Subject Tests:

· Any foreign language—assuming that you will take the most advanced class for the language during senior year

· Any subject for which you will be taking an AP Class senior year

· Literature: because by senior year, your literary skills will be maximized and also you might be taking AP Lit the fall of senior year

• More on the Literature Subject Test: you could take this test in May or June of junior year—if you’re a really strong English student and/or you are taking AP Literature (not AP Lang) junior year.
  
  
• More on the Math Subject Test:

· There are 2 math levels: Level 1 and Level 2. Take Level 2 only if you are in the most advanced math track at their school. (For example, SAP at Poly Prep.) Take Level 1 if you are in the intermediate track.

· If you have been scoring well on the math sections of either the ACT or SAT, you should strongly consider taking a Math subject test. (The math concepts tested on both the ACT and SAT are identical to those tested on both Math Level 1 and Level 2!)

· I strongly recommend the June test date (for either sophomores or juniors) for the Math test, whether Level 1 or Level 2. Why? Because the June test date overlaps with your final exam in Math at school, and the formulas will be super-fresh in your head.

· You could also take the Math Level 1 or 2 in May of junior year, although the June test is probably better.

· If you’re taking Math Level 2, I recommend that you take Level 1 in addition. Why? Because to take Level 2, you have to learn all the curriculum for Level 1 anyway, so, if your schedule allows, take both levels. Why? So that you maximize your chances of getting at least one totally awesome math score, whether it’s Level 1 or Level 2.

· REALLY IMPORTANT: If a school requires two different Subject Tests, you may NOT take both Level 1 and Level 2; colleges will not consider these tests “different” enough.

· However, it’s not disastrous if you wait until the fall of senior year to take a Math Subject Test—but you have to re-learn and re-memorize the math formulas. By senior year, you might be taking Calculus, so not every formula will be fresh in your head.

Every Subject Test is only 1 hour long. (90 minutes or 2 hours for extended time students.)

As is the case with the regular SAT, you may re-take any SAT Subject test a 2^nd time or even a 3^rd time.

For any given SAT date, you can take either 1)a full SAT or 2)up to 3 SAT Subject tests. What you may NOT do, however, is take a full SAT and any Subject test on the same test date. (There’s just not enough time to fit everything in.) As a result, try to “bundle” your Subject Tests together: take 2 or 3 Subject Tests on the same date. Why? So that you can leave future test dates open and therefore have more possible dates to re-take the SAT or a Subject Test. For example:

• This would be an impractical strategy:
  
  

March	May	June	Oct	Nov
SAT 1	Subject Test in History	Subject Test in Math	Subject Test in Math again	SAT 1 again

• This would be a MORE PRUDENT strategy:
  
  

March	May	June	Oct	Nov
SAT 1	TWO different Subject Tests (in History and Math, say)	SAT 1 again	SAT 1 again or SAT Subject tests again or try ACT	SAT Subject tests again (if necessary) or SAT 1 again (if necessary) or try for the December ACT

In general, try to take as many SAT Subject Tests as possible during the spring of junior year, because you don’t want the SAT Subject Tests to conflict with college applications senior year. (Of course, make sure that you’re qualified to take the particular Subject Test the spring of junior year.)

I can help you with the Math or the Literature SAT Subject Tests only. If you’ll need my help, please get these books:

      For Math 1 or 2: Cracking the SAT Math 1 and 2 Subject Tests, (any recent edition) by the Princeton Review

      For Literature: Kaplan SAT Subject Tests: Literature (any recent edition) by Kaplan

      These books are updated every year (“2016” edition, etc)—but they’re pretty much the same. If you can get the most recent edition, fine. But if the bookstore says, “We have to wait a couple weeks for the newest edition,” and it’s getting close to the test, then just buy the “old” version. The best plan is to buy the books now, early.

I will have sample tests for you—for Literature and Math 1 and Math 2.

If you’re still unsure about which Subject Test to take, ask your teachers at school for sample tests.

Or buy the following book, which has real, previously administered tests for every subject area. If you don’t want to buy the book, go to any bookstore and browse through the sample tests.

The book is called: The Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests, 2nd Edition

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Edition/dp/0874479754/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=085AR02VK77XPX9YAYG6

If you need my help for Math and/or Literature, you don’t need to buy the above book; I’ve Xeroxed the Math and Literature tests from this book already.

For sample American History and World History tests, get this book; it has 2 tests for each subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Subject-Tests-World-History/dp/0874477697/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431028169&sr=1-3&keywords=sat+world+history

One nice thing about the SAT Subject Test process: When you register for any Subject Tests, you must decide if you want to take 1, 2, or 3 Subject Test. However, later on—even on test day!—you may change your mind about how many tests you take, and you don’t have to go back and re-register. If you registered for only 1 test and want to take 2 tests, the College Board will just bill you later for the extra test. If you registered for 2 tests but, on test day, you don’t feel up to taking both tests—let’s say because you’re a bit sick—you can just take 1 test! (I think the College Board might even give you a partial refund.)

You can even change your mind about which particular test to take. Let’s say three days before the test date, you decide you want to take Chemistry instead of the Latin. No big deal. You don’t need to re-register. On test day, you will be handed a big booklet containing all 21 Subject test areas, and you can take whatever subject you want! (Of course, I recommend that you finalize the subject areas you want to take as soon as possible—and not wait until three days before the test or on test day to change your mind!)

Thank you for reading, and good luck.

Khoi Luu

When do I have to finish my standardized testing by?

(The following information applies to most schools.)

To Apply Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED)

· SAT/SAT Subject Tests: You have until the early-November test date of senior year to finish your SAT or SAT Subject tests—and still be able to apply EA or ED

· ACT: You have until the late-October test date of senior year to finish your ACT testing—and still be able to apply EA or ED.

To Apply Early Regular Decision

· SAT/SAT Subject Tests: You have until the early-December test date of senior year

· ACT: You have until the mid-December test date of senior year

Again, the above information applies to most schools. For the most accurate information, please check each school’s individual website.

Khoifucius’s Hint: Do a Google Search. Type in something like this:

Name of College +	regular decision		last SAT test date last ACT test date
	early action	+
	early decision