I am an international rising senior applying to harvard this fall. On their website, they say that “Students are not required to submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) unless the SAT exams are not available in their current location.” Does this mean that if I send my SAT scores, which are as good as they should be for the university, I will be exempted from sending the TOEFL one? I am asking because I can’t take the test until October 29th where I live, so my scores won’t be received until around November 20th if sent.
Harvard does NOT require the TOEFL, so Admissions pays very close attention to an international student’s reading and writing scores on the SAT/ACT.
If you have top reading and writing scores (750+), I wouldn’t worry about it as your scores demonstrate a proficiency to read and write in English. However, if your SAT/ACT reading and writing scores are not that high, I would recommend taking the TOEFL and submitting scores to Harvard that are about the same level that Yale requires: http://admissions.yale.edu/applying-yale-international-student
In addition, I would look at resources available on Harvard’s Writing Center to make sure you are able to meet the high standards of English proficiency that Harvard professors demand: http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/strategies-essay-writing
@gibby Thanks! I will try and score above 750 on the verbal section. Otherwise, can I send scores from October 29th’s TOEFL although I am applying REA?
Absolutely!