myUface Blog

Give then we just celebrated July 4th, Independence Day here in the U.S., I thought I’d take a break from discussing the ins and outs of financial aid to talk for a moment about something which U.S. universities value very highly:  independence.

In most countries around the globe, the university system has some type of formalized relationship with the central government.  Often, this takes the form of a Ministry of Education providing funding (and rules) for the national system.  Thus, in many countries, if the president or prime minister says, “You know, I really think our universities should do X,” there is at least a good chance those universities will be required to do so . . . by law.

U.S. universities, in contrast, are by and large completely independent from the central government.  They often receive funding of some sort for ongoing research, and so they are beholden to government support in that respect; but there’s no sense in which they are in the chain of command of the political leadership.

Although the U.S. is in now way unique in this regard, I would suggest that, for historical reasons, universities in the U.S. are perhaps more protective of their independence than universities in most countries.  And this in turn leads to the incredible diversity of educational institutions and programs you see in the U.S.  When there isn’t a central bureaucracy controlling the curriculum, individual schools are free to to determine their own path.

This is somethign to keep in mind as you look for universities and programs in the United States.  Don’t assume that one particular university – Harvard for example – is superior to other universities in every regard, as might be the case in a more centrally-controlled system.  Instead, remember that each university will establish programs based upon the needs of whatever it considers to be its “community,” and with funds that are secured from a variety of sources – not only the government.   This gives you the opportunity to look closely for a particular university to suit your needs – thereby exercising your own “independence.”

I want to apologize breifly for not posting the past few days.  I did a complete renovation of the office in my home, and while the renovation was ongoing my computer was sitting under a sheet to protect it from dust, debris, children’s toys, etc.  The room is more or less done, however, and I am returning to daily posting.

So what happens if you score lower than 213? Is it time to forget about going to a U.S. university and prepare yourself for a life of dirt farming? Absolutely not! And here’s why:

1. The TOEFL test is only one part of your application. U.S. universities look at your entire application when deciding if you would be a good fit for their school. Other test scores, your secondary school grades, extra-curricular activities and many other things are weighed along with TOEFL.
2. If your TOEFL score is low, but the rest of your application is strong, many universities will admit you to their program with the requirement that you take English classes either before starting your academic program, or in addition to your other classes. We have known numerous students who were admitted with this requirement and who have gone on to graduate.
3. You can retake the TOEFL. If at first you don’t succeed…..start studying, preparing for the test and take English lessons. When your English is better, take the test again! You can do these things either in your country or you can indicate in your myUface profile that you are interested in taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes here in the U.S.A. That’s right! As with our usual placement services, we can help you gain admittance to ESL programs here in the U.S. Our placement service is free to students. Alas, the tuition and living expenses are not!

In all seriousness, the TOEFL test is an important step to getting into the university of your choice. The better prepared you are, the better score you will have. With a higher score, your chances of getting into your first choice university increases. However, do not despair if your score is not exactly where you want it to be. There are always options and myUface is here to help.

If you are thinking about taking the TOEFL test in the near future (and you should be if you are planning on applying to a US university soon), then we encourage you to familiarize yourself with TOEFL online at www.toefl.org . ETS, who developed and owns the TOEFL test, has quite a bit of information on their site.

I look forward to any questions or comments you might have regarding the TOEFL test or any of the issues brought up in this blog.

In my ten years of working with international students, I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked this question. The TOEFL test is for many the first major obstacle confronted when preparing to apply to a U.S. university. For almost all international students the TOEFL is mandatory and will play a large and important role in which university you go to.

Given the importance of this test, myUface thought you might be interested in learning a little more about it and dispel some of the myths surrounding the TOEFL.

What is the TOEFL test? In short, the Test of English as a Foreign Language is a test that is used by most U.S. universities to gauge your (international students’) knowledge of English. A university will look at your score and decide whether or not your English is good enough to understand class work. One important note – TOEFL is a test of your knowledge of English in an academic setting. You might speak English well, but the TOEFL is meant to measure your ability to understand and communicate academic concepts.

If you are not planning on going to a U.S. university, then the TOEFL test may not be the best measurement of your skills. There are other tests out there that are designed to tell how well you can speak in non-academic environments. For instance, the TOEIC test (the Test of English for International Communication – www.toeic.org ) is meant to determine how well a person use and understand business English.

Regardless, back to our TOEFL! If you want to study in the U.S., then you will almost certainly have to take this wonderful test. You will no doubt have heard that you need to do very well in order to “get into a good university”. This is true….with exceptions (members of myUface will get tired of hearing about all the “exceptions” involved with the US higher education system!). Students that want a rule of thumb, though, can rely roughly on the following (based on our experience):

1. If you are interested in getting into an undergraduate program, you should aim for at least a 213 (or 550 paper-based).
2. If you are interested in getting into a masters program, you should aim for at least a 250 (or 600 paper-based).

This “rule of thumb” is an easy way to gauge where you are when you get your test scores. Of course, the best universities will want higher scores, Other universities may accept lower ones.