Colleges That Require SAT Subject Tests
Besides the ACT and SAT, you can also use SAT Subject Test scores to help you get into college. The question is which schools actually require them versus ones that are just helpful. Here then are colleges that require SAT subject tests.
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Colleges That Require SAT Subject Tests
Required
At these schools, you’ll have to take SAT Subject Tests.
There are a few exceptions where you can substitute the ACT instead. Colleges that require a subject test normally ask for just one. However, more selective schools will ask for two subject tests.
Recommended
In these cases, the choice is up to you.
You aren’t forced to take an SAT Subject Test. However, if you have a low regular SAT score, then it’s not a bad idea to also submit high Subject Test scores. Unless it looks like an obvious outlier, college admissions officials will appreciate you taking on the extra challenge and succeeding.
Considered
At these schools, Subject Test scores aren’t expected but are examined if submitted.
If you’re trying to get into a particular program or have a strong interest in a subject, then this is an opportunity to send those scores in. They’ll demonstrate your keen interest and focus on digging into this area in college.
Alternative
These schools have the most flexible options.
Their policies tend to allow for a wide variety of test score submissions. Again, have a weak SAT score but strong Subject Test scores? Send all of them in. It won’t hurt your chances.
| College | Category |
|---|---|
| Amherst College | Considered |
| Barnard College | Considered |
| Boston College | Considered |
| Boston University | Considered (Req for Special Programs) |
| Bowdoin College | Considered (Req for students who were homeschooled) |
| Brown University | Recommended |
| Bucknell University | Considered |
| California Institute of Technology | Required |
| Carleton College | Considered |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Recommended for most programs |
| Claremont McKenna | Considered |
| Colby College | Alternative |
| College of the Holy Cross | Considered |
| Colorado College | Alternative |
| Columbia University | Considered |
| Connecticut College | Considered |
| Cooper Union | Required (Engineering Only) |
| Cornell University | Required (Arts and Sciences and Engineering only) |
| Dartmouth College | Recommended |
| Davidson College | Considered |
| Duke University | Recommended |
| Emory University | Recommended (Req for homeschooled applicants) |
| Franklin Olin College of Engineering | Considered |
| George Washington University | Considered (Req Special Programs) |
| Georgetown University | Recommended |
| Hamilton College | Alternative |
| Harvard College | Required |
| Harvey Mudd College | Required |
| Ithaca College | Considered |
| Johns Hopkins University | Considered |
| Lafayette College | Recommended |
| Lehigh University | Recommended |
| Macalester College | Considered |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Required |
| McGill University | Required |
| Middlebury College | Alternative |
| Mills College | Considered (Required for homeschooled applicants) |
| New York University | Alternative |
| Northwestern University | Considered |
| Oberlin College | Considered |
| Occidental College | Considered |
| Pomona College | Considered (Recommended for homeschooled applicants) |
| Pratt Institute | Considered (Req Architecture) |
| Princeton University | Recommended |
| Reed College | Considered |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Considered (Req for Special Programs) |
| Rice University | Required |
| Smith College | Considered |
| Stanford University | Considered |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | Considered (Req for Special Programs) |
| Swarthmore College | Considered |
| Tufts University | Required |
| Union College | Considered (Req for Special Programs) |
| University of California, Berkeley | Recommended |
| University of California, Davis | Considered |
| University of California, Irvine | Recommended |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Recommended for Specific Programs |
| University of California, Merced | Considered |
| University of California, Riverside | Recommended for Specific Programs |
| University of California, San Diego | Recommended for Specific Programs |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | Recommended for Specific Programs |
| University of California, Santa Cruz | Considered |
| University of Chicago | Considered |
| University of Georgia | Recommended |
| University of Miami | Considered (Req for Special Programs) |
| University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | Considered |
| University of Notre Dame | Considered |
| University of Pennsylvania | Considered |
| University of Rochester | Alternative |
| University of Southern California | Optional (Req for homeschooled students) |
| University of Virginia | Considered |
| Vanderbilt University | Considered |
| Vassar College | Considered |
| Wake Forest University | Considered |
| Washington and Lee University | Considered |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Considered |
| Webb Institute | Required |
| Wellesley College | Considered |
| Wesleyan University | Considered |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Considered |
| Yale University | Recommended |
This is only scratching the surface when it comes to colleges that require SAT Subject Tests. For more information, always contact the schools you’re interested in via their admissions websites for detail
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