I’m a long time lurker. Indeed, I even used this forum around 12 years ago when I applied (and successfully got in) to several elite schools. I’m wondering if anyone has any information on TOEFL requirements for most of these schools?
I know some of them have a minimum and some don’t have a minimum. I’m hoping to compile a useful list for other foreign parents so they know what scores they should aim for. I’m sorry if this has been asked before, but I haven’t been able to find any reliable information online or in this forum. It seems a lot of the result threads just have SSAT results… I haven’t seen many TOEFL scores?
Thanks so much guys! I’m sorry if it’s annoying. I’m really just dealing with concerned parents (I now teach at a middle school abroad with many parents interested in sending their little ones to boarding school in America) and I just would like to give them SOME information.
I know Harvard has an unofficial “low” score of 100 that they occasionally waive for athletes etc. A boarding school that is spoken about reasonably frequently on this forum has a minimum of 105 (occasionally they dip slightly in very special cases). I work in athletic recruiting and know of boys with TOEFL’s who have attended all boy’s boarding schools with TOEFL scores in the 70’s. So I’d say scores above 100 for the “top” schools as a minimum and possible 105 for the most selective top 5/6. Just my perspective, others might disagree.
What about second tier? I’ve searched through forums and found some good ones pointing to ESL programs at boarding schools. I suppose anything below a 90 is just absolutely not even considered for top tier… I saw on Peddie’s sight that 95 is the minimum requirement? I suppose that they’d accept lower if the kid is a genius or an athlete and NOT from China / Korea. IDK, these parents are stressing me out!! I feel like I"m a parent / going through this all over again.
My hunch is that there are schools that accept pretty low TOEFL scores is they have an ESL program and that the applicant is full pay (full pay is critical for international admissions). If the school doesn’t have ESL then I think it’s safe to assume that the TOEFL expectations are higher. I would imagine 90’s on the test would work for many schools but probably not the “top” (whatever that means) schools. Sorry I don’t have more insights on this one.
Overwhelmed by the sheer number of applications from Asian countries, especially China and Korea, many school set a minimum TOEFL requirement to screen out candidates who are unlikely to succeed in the process. I recall certain schools set the bar as high as 105, just for the candidate to become eligible for booking an on-campus interview! But in reality, I’m sure there are ways to work around as long as your score is in the neighborhood.