List of Colleges That Require SAT Subject Tests

Understanding which colleges that require SAT Subject Tests become an important next step for a better career ahead.  

Most of the students understand the importance of SAT Test prep which includes study material, working on practice tests, and having a clear-cut plan. Getting a high score on SAT becomes a big ambition that makes the students overlook the next steps involved. After getting the SAT score, the students will have to select the right colleges based on the aptitude they have and their career aspirations to come into the big picture here.

Colleges That Require SAT Subject Tests 

The standardized policies have been changed from the year 2020/2021 and the list of colleges that require SAT Subject tests are broadly classified into four categories: 

Required:

This section has the list of colleges that require SAT Subject Tests.  Some colleges ask for one subject test, but others might ask for multiple subject test scores. In these colleges, the SAT Subject Test score is mandatory in the application. 

Recommended:

In this section, the list of colleges is that at ambiguous about whether the students can send SAT scores or not.  The students who have relatively lesser SAT scores can apply to these colleges with individual subject SAT scores.  

Considered: 

 These lists of colleges needn’t have SAT Subject Tests as mandatory for the application but might add-on to strengthen the chances of getting into the college. For the students who are particularly interested in a subject and would like to study further in them, and have a clear academic goal, these colleges can become a good option. 

Alternative:

The colleges in this section have individual policies and can be flexible when it comes to the tests.  The rules in this Alternative section are subjective to each college as they have their policies and rules which the student should study well beforehand. 

Here is the list of the SAT Colleges that are Categorized:  

College	Category	Policy
Amherst College	Considered (suspended for 2020/2021 admission cycle)	For the 2020/2021 admissions cycle: SAT Subject Tests will not be considered as part of the evaluation of any applicant’s academic record.
Boston College	Considered	SAT II Subject Tests are optional. If you would like to highlight talent in a specific area, you are welcome to submit SAT Subject Tests for consideration with your application. Subject Tests, particularly in foreign languages and the sciences, may be used for placement during the first year.
Bowdoin College	Considered	Test-Optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted.
Brown University	Considered	If submitted, Subject Tests will be considered as part of your application. Students who have not taken the Subject Tests will be at no disadvantage in Brown’s admission process.
Bucknell University	Considered	Students may submit their SAT Subject Test scores as supplemental information to their application. Bucknell does recommend the test in a foreign language for any student planning to enroll in foreign language coursework.
California Institute of Technology	Considered	Caltech recently dropped its requirement of 2 subject tests and now only considers them.
Carleton College	Considered	Applicants may submit the results of their SAT subject tests. “We have found these tests valuable aids in the assessment of the quality of student achievement in a wide variety of secondary school programs. It has been our experience that SAT subject test results usually enhance a candidate’s credentials and only rarely constitute a negative factor.”
Claremont McKenna	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted. Homeschooled students are recommended to submit two SAT Subject Tests, one of which must be math.
Colby College	Alternative	Two SAT Subject Tests can be substituted in place of either the SAT or ACT.
College of the Holy Cross	Considered	Test-Optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted.
Colorado College	Considered	Test-Optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted.
Columbia University	Considered	The SAT Subject Test scores are not required, but Columbia will accept scores from the exams if you choose to submit them. You will not be at a disadvantage should you choose not to take the tests or submit the scores to Columbia.
Connecticut College	Considered	Test-Optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted.
Cooper Union	Considered [Recommended for Engineering]	Engineering applicants are encouraged to submit a subject test score in math and physics or chemistry.
Cornell University	Considered	Subject Tests are considered for all applicants, except for Engineering students, where Subject Tests won’t be considered for 2020 and 2021 applicants.
Dartmouth College	Considered	“Not submitting scores will not prevent your candidacy from receiving a full review by the Admissions Committee. If you submit subject test scores, we will include them in our review of your application.”
Davidson College	Considered	If applicants have taken SAT Subject Tests, Davidson welcomes but does not require those scores.
Duke University	Considered	“We do not require SAT Subject Tests.”
Emory University	Considered [Recommended for homeschooled applicants]	“SAT II subject exams are encouraged, but not required. Students are encouraged to submit SAT subject exam scores for academics areas of strength and/or interest. Since these exams are not required, students have the choice of which subject exams they want to report. Do note that we request home-schooled applicants submit scores from three SAT II subject exams.”
Franklin Olin College of Engineering	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
George Washington University	Considered [Req Special Programs] (2)	Two SAT Subject Tests are required in science and mathematics for the Seven Year BA/MD program.
Georgetown University	Recommended (3)	Strongly Recommended: Three SAT Subject Tests.
Hamilton College	Alternative	Three SAT Subject Tests can be substituted in place of either the SAT or ACT. One must be a verbal or writing/essay test, one must be a quantitative test, and the third is your choice. (Exam requirement suspended for 2020/2021 application cycle)
Harvard College	Recommended (2)	“While we normally recommend that you submit two SAT Subject Tests, you may apply without them if the cost of the tests represents a financial hardship or if you prefer to have your application considered without them.”
Ithaca College	Considered	Test-Optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted. SAT Subject Tests are still considered optional supplements for homeschooled applicants.
Johns Hopkins University	Considered	“Applicants have the option of submitting SAT Subject Tests in one or more areas of interest as a way to demonstrate an academic strength, but they are not required.”
Lafayette College	Considered	“The results of SAT Subject Tests are not required for admission. Some academic departments do use scores from these tests for placement purposes.”
Lehigh University	Recommended	SAT Subject Tests are not required for admissions but are recommended as college credit may be awarded for scores of 700 or higher.
Macalester College	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
McGill University	Required (2) (Suspended for 2020/2021 admissions cycle)	SAT + two SAT Subject Tests Required, OR ACT with Writing (Suspended for 2020/2021 admissions cycle)
Middlebury College	Considered	“Students who would like their standardized testing to be considered in the application review process can submit either the SAT, the ACT, or three SAT Subject Tests in different academic disciplines (Math I and Math II, for example, do not qualify as two distinct Subject Tests)…Middlebury will “super score” standardized test results—meaning we will accept the highest score from each section of the SAT, the ACT, or SAT Subject Tests, regardless of sitting, and sum the best scores across sittings of the same test”
New York University	Alternative	Test requirements are satisfied by fulfilling one of the following:  SAT (essay not required)   ACT (writing not required)   Three Subject Tests   Three AP exams   The International Baccalaureate Diploma   Three IB higher-level exams (if a student is not an IB Diploma candidate)   Students who choose to submit three SAT Subject Tests, AP, or IB scores must submit one in literature or the humanities, one in math or science, and one of the student’s choice.
Northwestern University	Considered	“SAT subject tests are optional. Subject exams…allow students to demonstrate their skill level(s) in a particular area. However, subject tests may be from topics outside of your potential major. Prospective students who do not submit SAT subject test results will not be penalized; we recognize that many applicants may not have the opportunity to sign up for the exams.”
Oberlin College	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
Occidental College	Considered [Recommended for homeschooled applicants]	Subject Tests are considered if submitted. “We strongly recommend that external assessments be submitted for applicants who have been homeschooled for the entirety of the high school. At least one of the following is strongly recommended: SAT, ACT, SAT II subject tests, AP scores, IB exams, GCSE, IGCSE, and/or A-level results.”
Pomona College	Considered [Recommended for homeschooled applicants]	SAT Subject Test scores are optional. In addition to the SAT or ACT results, home-schooled students are encouraged, although not required, to submit results of at least two SAT Subject or Advanced Placement exams
Pratt Institute	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
Princeton University	Considered	“If you choose to take SAT Subject Tests we have no preference for the specific tests applicants might choose to take. If you apply for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, we recommend that you take mathematics Level I or II, and either physics or chemistry.”
Reed College	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Considered [Recommended for Special Programs]	Applicants to the accelerated programs in law or medicine are encouraged to submit two SAT Subject Tests (one math and one science).
Rice University	Recommended (2)	“Rice recommends applicants submit two SAT Subject Tests related to their proposed area of study.”
Smith College	Considered	SAT II subject tests are optional for all applicants.
Stanford University	Considered	“SAT Subject Tests are optional. Because SAT Subject Test scores can highlight your areas of strength, we welcome the self-reporting of these results in your application. If you have taken a subject test more than once, you may report your highest score.”
Stevens Institute of Technology	Considered [Recommended for Special Programs]	Subject Tests in Math (Level 1 or 2) and either Chemistry or Biology are recommended for the Accelerated Medical Program.
Union College	Considered [Req for Special Programs]	Test-Optional. Students applying to the Leadership in Medicine program are required to submit one math and one science Subject Test along with the SAT. Alternatively, applicants can submit the ACT in lieu of both SAT and Subject Tests.
University of California, Berkeley	Recommended	Recommended for College of Chemistry and College of Engineering: Math Level 2 and a science test (Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics) closely related to the applicant’s intended major.
University of California, Davis	Considered	SAT II subject tests are optional for all applicants.
University of California, Irvine	Considered	SAT II subject tests are optional for all applicants.
University of California, Los Angeles	Considered	SAT II subject tests are optional for all applicants.
University of California, Merced	Considered	SAT II subject tests are optional for all applicants.
University of California, Riverside	Considered	SAT II subject tests are optional for all applicants.
University of California, San Diego	Recommended for Some Programs	Biological or physical science applicants and applicants to the School of Engineering should take Math Level 2 and a science Subject Test related to the applicant’s intended major.
University of California, Santa Barbara	Considered	SAT II subject tests are optional for all applicants.
University of California, Santa Cruz	Considered	UCSC does not use the SAT Subject Tests for selection purposes, but you can use SAT Subject Tests to satisfy the “a-g” UC requirements.
University of Chicago	Considered	“SAT Subject Tests scores are entirely optional, and not sending Subject Test scores will not hurt your application.”
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	Considered	You may submit supplemental scores from AP, IB, or SAT Subject tests if you think they are a good reflection of your mastery of the material.
University of Notre Dame	Considered	SAT Subject Tests, AP, and IB tests are only used in the application process if scores enhance an application.
University of Pennsylvania	Considered	SAT Subject Tests are recommended but not required. Applicants who do not take SAT Subject Tests will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process. Penn recommends any two subject tests to Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences applicants; Science (preferably Chemistry) for Nursing applicants; Math Level 2 and a science test (preferably physics for Engineering students) to STEM applicants; and Maths Level 2 to Business applicants.
University of Rochester	Alternative	Two SAT Subject Tests can be substituted in place of either the SAT or ACT.
University of Southern California	Optional [Recommended for homeschooled students]	“Although the application process for the 2021-2022 Academic Year is test-optional, we still find it helpful to have work from home-schooled students that is externally graded or examined. Therefore, we recommend submitting either SAT/ACT results, SAT subject exam results, AP exam results, or transcripts from college courses or other accredited online schooling programs if possible.”
University of Virginia	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
Vanderbilt University	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
Vassar College	Considered	SAT Subject Tests are not required, and students opting not to send Subject Tests will not be penalized. However, SAT Subject Tests will be considered if submitted as part of a testing profile. Subject Tests may enhance an applicant’s credentials, particularly for applicants from non-traditional school backgrounds (homeschooled, non-graded schools, etc.). Note that a strong score on an SAT Subject Test is also one way to fulfill Vassar’s Foreign Language Proficiency requirement.
Wake Forest University	Considered	Test-Optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted. Subject Test Scores may be self-reported.
Washington and Lee University	Considered	Subject Tests are considered if submitted.
Washington University in St. Louis	Considered	“We will only consider them if they strengthen your application.”
Wesleyan University	Considered [Req for some students]	Test-Optional for US and Canadian students. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted. Candidates applying from secondary schools that provide written evaluations in place of traditional grades or students who have been homeschooled, attend online high schools, or are enrolled in other non-traditional secondary school programs are required to submit ACT results or the SAT and two or more SAT Subject Tests.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Considered	Test-Optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but will be considered if submitted.
Yale University	Recommended (Suspended for 2020-2021 admissions cycle)	“SAT Subject Tests will not be considered during the 2020-21 admissions cycle.”

SAT Subject Tests: Concluding Remarks

Make sure you know all the criteria, suggestions, and ideal strategies, just like with every other component of your programme. Always double-check with your target school to ensure you understand what they want, especially as regulations become increasingly lenient. 

Your highest score from AP exams or the SAT Subject Tests may be acceptable if you apply to a school that accepts test scores. Take some practice exams, consider your skills and shortcomings, and determine your areas of strength.