Standardized test requirements at top colleges

Test Requirements at Top Colleges

To follow are standardized test requirements for some top schools. These

requirements change year to year so please make sure you research all of the

schools to which you are applying and note their requirements.

Amherst: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests or the ACT with Writing option. SAT code is 3003. ACT

code is 1774.

Barnard: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests or the ACT with Writing. SAT Code is 2038. ACT code is

2718.

Bates: All standardized tests are optional. Students are welcome to submit the SAT, ACT, or one

or more Subject Tests. SAT Code is 3076. ACT code is 1634.

Boston College: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests or the ACT with Writing. SAT Code is 3083. ACT

code is 1788.

Bowdoin: All standardized tests are optional. Students are welcome to submit the SAT, ACT, or

one or more Subject Tests. SAT Code is 3089. ACT code is 1636.

Brown: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests, or the ACT with Writing option. SAT 4-digit code is 3094.

ACT 4-digit code is 3800.

California Institute of Technology: SAT or ACT with Writing, SAT Math 2 subject test, and one of

the following SAT Subject Tests: Ecological Biology, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. The

middle 50% SAT scores for admitted freshman in the class of 2012 were Reading: 700 / 790,

SAT Math: 760 / 800, SAT Writing: 700 / 790, and 33 – 35 on the ACT. SAT code is 4034.

ACT code is 0182.

Carleton: SAT or ACT with Writing are required. Students are encouraged, but not required, to

submit SAT Subject Test scores. SAT Code is 6081. ACT code is 2092.

Carnegie Mellon: SAT or ACT with Writing are required. Subject Test requirements vary by

department. For the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the College of Fine Arts, Architecture,

Math Level 1 or 2 and either Chemistry or Physics are required. For the College of Fine Arts

(apart from Architecture), no Subject Tests are required. The College of Humanities and Social

Sciences, and Information Systems, require Math Level 1 or 2 and a second test of the student’s

choice. Mellon College of Science and the School of Computer Science require Math Level 1 or 2

and either Biology, Physics, or Chemistry. The Tepper School of Business requires Math Level 1 or

2 and one of the student’s choice, preferably a science. SAT Code is 2074. ACT code is 3534.

Claremont McKenna: SAT or ACT with Writing. Subject Tests are not required. SAT Code is

4054. ACT code is 0224.

Colby: Applicants may submit either the SAT, the ACT with Writing, or three SAT Subject Tests.

SAT code is 3280. ACT code is 1638.

Colgate University: The SAT or the ACT (Writing is not required). Subject Tests are not required.

SAT Code is 2086. ACT code is 2702.

Columbia University: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests (for Columbia Engineering, take any math

SAT Subject Test and either Physics or Chemistry), or the ACT with Writing. Also, if you have an

odd grading system at your school or if you’re home-schooled, take two extra SAT Subject Tests.

SAT code for Columbia College is 2116; for Columbia Engineering it’s 2111. ACT codes are

2717 for Columbia College and 2719 for Columbia Engineering.

Cooper Union: All applicants are required to submit the SAT or ACT. Engineering applicants must

also submit an SAT II in Mathematics and one in Physics or Chemistry. SAT Code is 2097. ACT

code is 2724.

Cornell: SAT or ACT with Writing, plus SAT Subject Tests depending on the college to which you

are applying. For Agriculture and Life Sciences, SAT Subject Tests in science and math are

recommended. Architecture students are required to take any level of SAT Math. For Arts and

Sciences, SAT Subject Tests required in two subjects. For engineering, any math SAT Subject Test

and an SAT Subject Test in science is required. For Hotel Administration, any level of SAT math is

required. For Human Ecology, any level of SAT math is required plus another SAT Subject Test.

For Industrial and Labor Relations, no Subject Tests are required. SAT code is 2098. ACT code is

2726.

Dartmouth: SAT or ACT with Writing, and two SAT Subject Tests. SAT code is 3351. ACT code is

2508.

Davidson: Applicants are required to submit the SAT or the ACT. Students who submit the SAT

are encouraged to submit two SAT Subject Tests, and students who submit the ACT are

encouraged to take it with the Writing section. SAT code is 5150. ACT code is 3086.

Duke: EITHER the ACT with Writing OR the SAT plus two SAT Subject Tests. Applicants to the Pratt

School of Engineering who take the SAT must take one SAT Math subject test. Applicants to the

Trinity College of Arts & Sciences who take the SAT may take any two SAT Subject Tests. All

applicants are encouraged to take an SAT Subject Test in a foreign language as well. SAT code is

5156. ACT code is 3088.

Emory University: SAT or ACT with Writing. SAT code is 5187. ACT code is 0810.

Georgetown: SAT or ACT. In addition, it is strongly recommended that candidates submit results

of three Subject Tests. Applicants to the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should submit a

modern language score. SAT code is 5244. ACT code is 0668.

Harvard: SAT or ACT, and two SAT Subject Tests (both cannot be in Math). SAT code is 3434.

ACT code is 1840.

Harvey Mudd: SAT or ACT with Writing. All applicants must submit the Math Level 2 Subject Test

and one other Subject Test of the student’s choice. SAT Code is 4341. ACT code is 0282.

Haverford: SAT and two Subject Tests or ACT with Writing. SAT code is 2289. ACT code is 3590.

Johns Hopkins: Either the ACT with Writing or the SAT. SAT Subject Tests are recommended but

not required; if you submit them, you are encouraged to submit results from three tests. Students

interested in the engineering major are encouraged to submit the Math II test, at least one science

Subject Test, and a third additional test. SAT code is 5332. ACT code is 1704.

Middlebury: Applicants may submit either the SAT, the ACT, or three SAT Subject Tests. SAT Code

is 3526. ACT code is 4306.

MIT: SAT or ACT with Writing, and one SAT Subject Test in math and another SAT Subject Test in

science (either physics, chemistry, or either emphasis of biology.) SAT code is 3514. ACT code is

1858.

Northwestern: SAT or ACT with writing, and two SAT Subject Tests are recommended. (For Honors

Program in Medical Education, SAT Subject Tests in Chemistry and Math Level II are required. For

the Integrated Science Program, Chemistry, Physics, and Math Level II are required. For home-

schooled applicants, a math SAT Subject Test and two additional SAT Subject Tests from two

different areas are required.) SAT code is 1565. ACT code is 1106.

NYU: SAT or ACT with writing, or three SAT Subject Tests are required. SAT Subject Test scores

must be submitted in the form of: one in literature or the humanities; one in math or science; and

one test of the student's choice in any subject. SAT Subject Tests are not required only for

applicants to the Tisch School of Arts or for studio art or music programs in the Steinhardt School

of Education. SAT code is 2562. ACT code is 2838.

Pomona: SAT and two Subject Tests, or ACT (Writing is recommended, but not required). SAT

Code is 4607. ACT code is 0372.

Princeton: SAT or ACT, and two SAT Subject Tests in two different areas. Engineering applicants

are recommended to submit SAT Subject Tests which include either physics or chemistry and a

math Subject Test. SAT code is 2672. ACT code is 2588.

Rice University: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests in fields related to expected college studies, or

the ACT with Writing. SAT code is 6609. ACT code is 4152.

Stanford: SAT or ACT with writing. SAT Subject Tests are recommended but not required. SAT

code is 4704. ACT code is 0434.

Swarthmore: Applicants may submit the SAT and two Subject Tests; the ACT with Writing; or the

SAT and the ACT (with or without Writing). Prospective engineers are encouraged to take the

Math Level 2 Subject Test (whether or not they opt to take the SAT or ACT). SAT Code is 2821.

ACT code is 3722.

Tufts University: All applicants must submit the SAT and two Subject Tests, or the ACT with

Writing. Applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences may take any two Subject Tests, although

students who intend to major in the Sciences or Mathematics are encouraged to submit Math Level

1 or 2, or a science Subject Test. Applicants to the School of Engineering must submit one Math

Subject Test (Level 1 or 2) and a science Subject Test (either Physics or Chemistry). SAT Code is

3901. ACT code is 1922.

UNC Chapel Hill: SAT or ACT with Writing. SAT Code is 5816. ACT code is 3162.

University of California: All UC campuses require either SAT or ACT with writing. A few

campuses recommend taking Subject Tests.

Berkeley

College of Chemistry and College of Engineering: Along with looking for evidence of high

academic performance in math and science, the presence of SAT Subject Tests, particularly in a

science and Math Level 2, is considered a plus.

Riverside

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Bourns College of Engineering: Math Level 2 and

Chemistry or Physics are strongly recommended.

San Diego

Jacobs School of Engineering and Division of Biological Sciences: SAT Subject Tests in Math Level 2

and science are recommended and considered as value-added achievements during the

application evaluation.

Santa Barbara

College of Engineering: Math Level 2

College of Creative Studies:

• Literature for literature majors

• Math Level 2 for math majors

• Math Level 2 and Physics for physics majors

• Biology for biology majors

• Chemistry for biochemistry and chemistry majors

• Math Level 2 for computer science majors

Applicants must send their testing information to each campus they apply to. Berkeley’s SAT

code is 4833; ACT code is 0444. UCLA’s SAT code is 4837; ACT code is 0448. Other campuses

are UCSD, UCSB, Irvine, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Merced, and Davis.

University of Chicago: All applicants must submit either the SAT or ACT. No SAT Subject Tests are

required. SAT code is 1832. ACT code is 1152.

University of Michigan: SAT or ACT with Writing. SAT Code is 1839. ACT code is 2062.

University of Notre Dame: Either the SAT or the ACT. No Writing score is required on either test.

On the SAT, the highest scores on the Reading and Writing sections from separate sittings will be

combined. Three SAT Subject Tests, one each in History, Foreign Language, and Science, are

recommended for home schooled applicants. SAT code is 1841. ACT code is 1252.

University of Pennsylvania: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests, or the ACT with Writing. Applicants

to the Wharton School are encouraged to take a math SAT Subject Test. Students applying to

the School of Engineering and Applied Science are encouraged to take a math SAT Subject Test

and a physics Subject Test. Applicants to the School of Nursing are recommended to take a

science Subject Test. SAT code is 2926. ACT code is 3732.

University of Southern California: SAT or ACT with Writing. Subject Tests are optional, but

recommended. SAT code is 4852. ACT code is 0470.

University of Virginia: SAT or ACT. Subject Tests are strongly recommended, but not required.

SAT Code is 5820. ACT code is 4412.

Vanderbilt: SAT or ACT with Writing. SAT subject tests are optional. SAT code is 1871. ACT code

is 4036.

Vassar: SAT and two Subject Tests (each in a different academic subject) or the ACT with Writing.

SAT code is 2956. ACT code is 2982.

Wake Forest: No standardized tests are required. Students are welcome to submit their scores on

the SAT or ACT with Writing. SAT code is 5885. ACT code is 3168.

Washington University in Saint Louis: Either the SAT or the ACT (with or without Writing). SAT

subject tests are recommended but not required. SAT code is 6929. ACT code is 2386.

Wellesley: SAT and two Subject Tests, or the ACT with Writing. Students pursuing quantitative

subjects (such as biology, mathematics, or neuroscience) are encouraged to submit at least one

quantitative subject test. SAT Code is 3957. ACT code is 1926.

Wesleyan: SAT and two Subject Tests, or the ACT. SAT Code is 3959. ACT code is 0614.

Williams: Students are required to submit the SAT or the ACT with Writing, and two SAT Subject

Tests. SAT Code is 3965. ACT code is 1936.

Yale: SAT and two SAT Subject Tests, or ACT with writing. SAT code is 3987. ACT code is 0618.