Which colleges require or recommend SAT Subject Tests?

November 9, 12:08 AMDC College Admissions ExaminerNancy Griesemer

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If you’re confused about which colleges require or recommend SAT Subject Tests for admission, allow me to point you in the direction of a wonderful webpage devised and maintained by the Compass Educational Group (Compass Prep) of California. Similar information may also be found on the College Board, Common Application, or Universal College Application websites, but going any of these routes generally involves clicking through numerous webpages and may be limited to a specific subset of “member” institutions. The beauty of the Compass Prep table is that all the schools requiring, recommending or considering SAT Subject Tests are contained on one easy-to-understand chart.

Of the approximately 3000 colleges and universities across the country, about 100 use SAT Subject Tests in their admissions decisions. For anyone keeping score, only Harvard and Georgetown Universities require three Subject Tests. Johns Hopkins and Northwestern recommend three, which in admissions-speak usually translates into requires. An additional forty colleges and universities require two Subject Tests, but a large portion of those will allow students to substitute the ACT with writing—a policy which must aggravate market-sensitive executives of the College Board. Just fewer than seventy other institutions either recommend or consider Subject Tests in their admissions processes. And Compass Prep lists them all along with solid explanations of how schools are likely to interpret or use the scores requested. In the way of backup, links are provided directly to individual college websites.

Compass Prep is quick to warn that no list can “replace the nuances of a school’s specific policy.” Students are properly directed to school websites or admissions offices for the most accurate (and up-to-date) information. Used properly, however, this handy reference tool is bound to save students considerable time and aggravation.