Once upon a time (specifically, up until January of 2021), SAT Subject Tests were a great addition to a student’s academic résumé, particularly when applying for elite colleges.
However, after many colleges stopped requiring test scores and embraced more holistic admissions processes in 2020, the College Board opted to discontinue administration of both SAT Subject Tests and the optional SAT Essay.
In a statement on their blog, the College Board announced that the organization made these changes in order “to reduce demands on students.” The widespread availability of AP courses and tests, which are also administered by the College Board, had effectively rendered the SAT Subject Tests obsolete.
The discontinuation of the SAT Subject tests points to a larger trend in college admissions as schools pay less attention to test scores, instead giving more consideration to other aspects of a student’s application.
So with two less types of standardized tests to take, what should students do instead to make themselves competitive applicants?
As always, a strong academic transcript is one of the best ways to prove to institutions that you’ll be able to handle college coursework. By taking AP or IB classes, you can prove to universities that you’ll be able to handle a rigorous course load of college-level work. As a bonus, earning 4s and 5s on your AP exams may even exempt you from taking certain freshman year courses, depending on your school.
If your high school doesn’t offer AP or IB courses, or they don’t offer the specific classes that you’d like to add to your résumé, consider enrolling in an online course via Coursera or directly through a specific university. Many colleges offer online classes and allow anyone, including high school students, to enroll. Seeking out extra academic opportunities shows admissions counselors that you’re both dedicated to your education and willing to think outside the box.
Outside of the classroom, getting involved in extracurricular activities demonstrates that you will be an involved member of your campus community. This is especially true if you take on leadership positions in clubs or on teams; a routine time commitment is great, but having a “title” reflects your level of commitment to the group or organization. Schools want to admit engaged, active students, so these extracurriculars could be the difference between getting in and being waitlisted.
If you need help finding an extracurricular to participate in, read our article here.
From taking challenging courses to enrolling in extracurricular activities, there’s plenty of ways to round out your college application beyond submitting test scores. With that being said, rest in peace, SAT Subject Tests.
