<p>So I came to America 10 years ago, and recently heard that taking the TOEFL may improve my chances to get into NYU or U of Minnesota for Economics. My GPA is not stellar (3.0 unweight, 3.5 weight) but I got around a 30 on a practice ACT. So should I take it or not? And I will take the SAT....</p>
<p>If you’ve been here for 10 years, and you have a GPA from American schools, and you are taking the SAT, the TOEFL won’t help you. It is primarily required to show mastery of English, and a higher score doesn’t provide any benefit.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon and University of Penns. made TOEFL mandatory in addition to SAT or ACT for students who have other language than English as a first language.
All other universities I was looking at would accept SAT or ACT if you spend in U.S. school 4-5 years or more.
So, there is no point of taking TOEFL, if it is not a mandatory requirement.</p>
<p>The TOEFL proves that you can speak English, and that’s about it. If you are required to take the TOEFL, take it. But it won’t necessarily help your chances when compared with a lower GPA.</p>
<p>Try to spend the time prepping your TOEFL prepping your GPA</p>