Waiving TOEFL requirements of universities

Applying to College
1

Hello,

I am an international student applying to colleges in the US. I have taken both, the SAT as well as the ACT and I scored 2200 and 34 respectively. I have a 720/800 on the CR section of the SAT and a 34/36 on the English section of the ACT. I will only be submitting my ACT scores to universities.

I am looking to study something related to STEM and I am hoping to waive the TOEFL requirements at the universities that I am applying to.

The universities that I am applying to are: UIUC (Already applied), MIT (EA; Already applied), Harvard, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, UCs, Cornell, Princeton, Harvey Mudd, Georgia Tech (EA; Already applied), UPenn, Columbia and Yale.

How should I apply for TOEFL requirements waivers at these universities? Technically, English is my first language and I have near perfect scores on the English tests in my school. Taking the TOEFL examination right now is not feasible for me due to time as well as financial constraints.

I would appreciate any help. Thank you in advance

2

Look at the requirements for international students in your schools’ websites. Some schools, though I’m not referring to any in your school list), have an automatic TOEFL waiver for students whose native language is English or who score above a certain point in the SAT/ACT. Your 720 should be fine at all of the schools I’m talking about.

In case they don’t say anything about TOEFL waiver, I guess you’re required to sit the test then. However, just send them an email and ask for it, nothing to lose anyway.

3

Each college and university sets its own policy about English proficiency exams. You need to read the websites carefully. If you cannot find the information, contact the admissions offices and ask them.

In most cases, having English as a first language is not enough to get a TOEFL waived. You need to provide evidence that your schooling has been in English for a certain number of recent years, or in some cases a specific ACT/SAT score will be sufficient.