<p>I was just looking at several college applications, and it seems most of them require TOEFL if you're not a native English speaker. I'm not a native speaker, but I've been in the US for 6 years and I have better English skills than 99% of my school. Yet, the college applications I've mentioned (like the UMich one) never seem to have any exceptions. Not how many As you get in high level English classes or other standardized test scores (I got 36 on English ACT, and 35 on reading), just a minimum score on the TOEFL. Is that actually reinforced? Because I'm bloody sick of standardized testing of any form (and i have to take like 6 in May... blah).</p>
<p>If you are a permanent resident, you are lumped with the American students and not required to take them at essentially any college. If you are not, you're lumped with international students, and depending on the college, may very well be forced to take the TOEFL. It depends on the college's requirements, check them carefully.</p>
<p>Normally, colleges will make you sit for the TOEFL if English is not your mother tounge. However, you're certainly exempt from taking this bloody costly test if you belong to any of the following categories: You have been living and learning in an English-speaking country for four years or more ( in your case, you're a cinch to be waived the test) OR your CR score is higher than 650 (or 700. It entirely depends on schools).
But I'm in complete agreement with compucomp upon poring over schools' requirements, since there are always variations :)</p>
<p>Yeah, as an international student myself, I realise you can always ask the schools if they can waive the TOEFL requirement based on a good SAT I Critical Reading Score. The best way is to email the adcoms and ask what score you need.</p>
<p>I've only lived in the US for 1,5 years (I'm a permanent resident) when I was applying to colleges in the fall of last year and I had a similar dilemma. What I did is I talked to each school whether I was required to take the TOEFL or not. Because my SAT scores were considerably high (760CR and 780WR) I was told that I do not have to take it. In your situation, having lived here for 6 years, I highly doubt you need to take the TOEFL. But call the schools and make sure.</p>