What Is the Average SAT Subject Test Score for Ivy League?

SAT is a standardized entrance test for admission to colleges and universities in the United States. In SAT, multiple-choice questions are being asked, and it is a paper-pen-based exam administered by The College Board. Many colleges consider SAT scores as part of a complete application. The main purpose behind the SAT is to scale a high school student’s readiness for college and provide admission opportunities in colleges using one common data point.

SAT subject tests involve numerous subjects – Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, U.S. History, World History, Math Level 1 & 2, Literature, Foreign Languages, and Foreign Languages with Listening.

But are you considering your SAT subject tests scores for Ivy League universities? As these universities are highly selective, you should craft every aspect of your application to make it strong as possible.

SAT Subject Tests are now no Longer

In January 2021, the College Board announced that SAT Subject Tests will be no further offered in the United States. These tests ended internationally in June 2021, and it is now no longer possible to take SAT Subject Tests. As a result, most colleges, including Ivy League colleges, do not require SAT Subject Tests. Despite this, many colleges are there that still consider SAT Subject Test scores.

Let’s have a look at Ivy League universities that are no more require SAT subject tests. However, their policies vary when it comes to how reviewing Subject Test scores if any student decides to submit them.

SAT Subject Test Scores at Ivy League Universities:

Ivy League Universities	SAT Subject Tests Recommended	Universities Notes
Brown University	None	“Beginning with the class of 2025, Brown will no longer recommend the submission of SAT Subject Tests. 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.”
Columbia University	None	“SAT Subject Test and other proficiency exam scores are not required by Columbia, but we will accept your results if you choose to submit them. You will not be at a disadvantage should you choose not to take these optional tests or submit the scores to Columbia.”
Cornell University	None	“SAT Subject Tests (to be discontinued in 2021) is not required or expected for admission to Cornell University.”
Dartmouth University	None	“SAT Subject Tests are an optional part of our review process. 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.”
Harvard University	None	“If you choose to submit Subject Tests (although they are no longer a requirement), it is more useful to choose only one mathematics test rather than two. Similarly, if your first language is not English, a Subject Test in your first language may be less helpful. You should submit scores from tests taken in the past three years.”
University of Pennsylvania	None	“Applicants who do not submit standardized test scores will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process.”
Princeton University	None	“As with previous years, we do not require the submission of SAT Subject Tests. If you chose to sit for a Subject Test (prior to January 2021) and wish to submit the score, you may do so.”
Yale University	None	“SAT Subject Tests have been discontinued. Results from these exams will not be considered for any first-year or transfer applicants.”

What do other major universities say on SAT Subject Tests? Duke University says, “We do not require SAT Subject Tests.” Georgetown University said it does not participate in Score Choice, so any Subject Test scores for exams already taken will be part of the complete testing record submitted from the College Board. On the other hand, MIT said that it has decided to no longer consider the SAT Subject Tests as part of the admissions process.

Colleges Considering SAT Subject Tests

Many schools still consider the SAT subject tests. For example, in Boston College, SAT II Subject Tests are optional. If you would like to highlight talent in a specific area, you can submit SAT Subject Tests for consideration with your application. Subject Tests, particularly in foreign languages and the sciences, may be considered for placement during the first year. In Bowdoin College, SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are all optional but the college will consider them if submitted.

Brown University will still consider the SAT Subject Tests if submitted as part of your application. Carleton College also lets applicants submit the results of their SAT subject tests. The college said that it has found these tests valuable aids in the assessment of the quality of student achievement in a wide variety of secondary school programs. Carleton College further noted that it has been its experience that SAT subject test results usually enhance a candidate’s credentials and only rarely constitute a negative factor.

Stanford University also considers SAT Subject Tests optional. The university says that as SAT Subject Test scores can highlight the student’s areas of strength, it welcomes the self-reporting of these results in their application. If you have taken a subject test more than once, you may report your highest score.

What are the Good Scores for SAT Subject Tests?

SAT Subject Tests are scaled between 200 and 800 scores.

The below table contains the total mean score, standard deviations (SD), which show how scores are distributed along the curve, and the number of test-takers from 2018 to 2020.

SAT Subject Tests	Mean Score	SD	Test Takers
Literature	616	108	114,511
U.S. History	647	99	138,298
World History	634	111	38,294
Math Level I	614	109	122,662
Math Level II	703	96	415,203
Ecological Biology	627	10	83,310
Molecular Biology	659	107	108,587
Chemistry	672	104	195,628
Physics	675	106	164,266
Chinese with Listening	760	67	11,671
French with Listening	679	114	2,856
German with Listening	622	124	1,027
Japanese with Listening	703	102	2,882
Korean with Listening	759	67	5,146
Spanish with Listening	662	108	4,640
French with Reading	622	125	15,548
German with Reading	625	133	1,661
Modern Hebrew with Reading	616	147	889
Italian with Reading	670	120	1,167
Latin with Reading	629	112	5,846
Spanish with Reading	645	113	43,423

*Source: The College Board

Conclusion

You can see SAT Subject Tests and scores for Ivy League and other top universities. Through SAT Subject Tests, you will be able to demonstrate your strengths and get admission to your desired college and university.