Peterson’s master toefl reading skills part 29 docx

TOEFL or Other English Language Proficiency Test ScoresYour ability to speak, write, and understand English is an absolute requirement to be considered for direct admission to most degre

TOEFL or Other English Language Proficiency Test Scores

Your ability to speak, write, and understand English is an absolute requirement to be

considered for direct admission to most degree programs in the United States If English

is not your native language, language proficiency can be demonstrated in several ways

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is the most widely accepted test of

proficiency If English is not your native language but most of your formal schooling has

been in English-speaking schools, you may not be required to take an examination The

policies regarding English language proficiency vary from institution to institution Be

sure that you know the policies and requirements of each school that you are considering

If you know that your English ability is not up to acceptable standards, you may wish

to consider intensive study of English in your country or in the United States There are

many English as a second language (ESL) programs available in the United States

Entrance requirements are minimal, and students are placed at the correct level of

study through testing of their ability Programs may last from five weeks to as long as

a year Sometimes a student is admitted to a college conditionally, pending study in an

intensive English language program U.S consular officials abroad will frequently not

grant an F-1 (student) visa for admission to an ESL program in the United States unless

the visa applicant also has conditional admission to a full-time undergraduate program

Many international students arriving in the United States for the first time are surprised

to learn that they must take an additional test in English even though they had already

submitted results from the TOEFL or other approved English proficiency examination

Retesting is sometimes done to enable academic counselors to make the best course

placements and to determine if some additional English language training might be

useful

Standardized Test Scores

Many U.S colleges and universities require all applicants to take either the College

Board’s SAT or the American College Testing’s ACT Assessment (ACT) A few may also

require three of the College Board’s SAT Subject Tests These examinations may

present problems for some international applicants The context and format of the tests

are often unfamiliar to them, and sometimes it is difficult to find a testing center that

is close enough to home If information on these examinations is not available at your

secondary school, it can be obtained by writing directly to the Educational Testing

Service, Rosedale Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08541 U.S.A (SAT, SAT Subject Tests,

TOEFL) or logging on to their Web site at www.ets.org You can also write to American

College Testing, P.O Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168 U.S.A (ACT) or log on to

their Web site at www.act.org

Students often express concern over taking these tests You should not allow these

worries to grow into any unwarranted anxiety over how well you will score Most U.S

admission officers are aware of the difficulties that tests like these present to students

educated outside of the U.S system or whose native language is not English They will take this into account Universities generally place greater weight on the quantitative (mathematics) sections of these tests, particularly for applicants who do not speak English as their native language The tests are only one part of the academic evaluation, and admission committees will place the results of your examinations in the proper context

If you are applying to a college that requires any of these standardized tests, you should make certain you know the school’s requirements and expectations for level of perfor-mance These vary from one school to the next Another important point is that you may take the tests several times Your performance may improve as you become more familiar and more comfortable with them Most U.S students begin taking these tests almost two years before they plan to enter college If you are beginning the application process that early, it would be wise to do the same

Nonacademic Information

While academic ability is certainly the most important factor, other factors can also play

a large role and will be considered in the admission process Since a college education

is primarily an academic experience, it is important that a candidate have the academic preparation necessary to succeed at the schools to which he or she is applying Once a candidate has demonstrated the necessary academic ability, however, the admission officer focuses attention on the nonacademic factors that set that candidate apart from the rest of the applicants The deciding factor in an admission decision can be the nonacademic information (However, some candidates with extremely strong academic backgrounds may be admitted almost solely on the basis of their academic achievement and potential This type of candidate usually has a combination of very high grades, excellent standardized test scores, and enthusiastic school support.)

Financial Aid

You must submit a financial aid application if you intend to seek financial assistance for your undergraduate studies Unfortunately, assistance for non-U.S citizens is generally quite limited The policies regarding financial aid vary considerably Find out early what the policies are at the colleges that interest you You should also explore the possibilities for aid available through the government of your home country

The Application Fee

An application fee is usually required to cover the cost of processing your application The fee at most colleges is around $50 and is typically payable in U.S dollars only Some colleges will waive the fee for very needy students

Check each college’s application requirements Complete all forms and submit the

application package as early as possible

Timing

Timing can be one of the most difficult problems that international applicants face

Make certain that you have carefully read all of the information provided by the

institution Make a list of all of the deadlines that exist for various steps in the admission

process for each institution to which you are applying The list can be used as a quick

resource in the future to make sure that you do not miss any important deadlines Send

all items and correspondence by air mail, and mail them as far before the deadlines as

possible Most schools will send a card acknowledging receipt of your application and

will also inform you if any required items are missing from your application package

It’s a good idea to include several mailing labels filled out with your address with your

application The admissions office will appreciate your thoroughness

Interviews

A final step in the application process may be an interview with a college representative

The interviewer may be an admissions officer or a graduate of the institution who is

living in your area Many U.S colleges send representatives abroad to meet with

prospective students, and an increasing number of graduates are available to meet with

international students in their home countries These meetings provide an excellent

opportunity for you to learn more about the institutions that interest you They also give

the interviewer a chance to get an impression of you and how your abilities, goals, and

interests match those of the institution The interviews are generally informal and

should be viewed as an opportunity to exchange information A written summary of the

meeting is typically sent to the college, but it does not usually play a large role in the

actual decision to admit or reject an applicant

Some U.S colleges and universities use what are called “third-party” representatives

or recruiters to interview prospective students in other countries When these

represen-tatives are not actual members of the staff, faculty, or alumni of the institution, you

should be extremely careful in evaluating the information you receive Promises of

admission expressed before the college receives detailed information about your

academic background may indicate that the institution has lower standards than you

wish to find in a U.S college When you are not dealing directly with an actual faculty

or staff member or an alumnus of a college or university, you should seek additional

information about the institution before making a final decision concerning your

application

Be sure to check with each institution to determine its policy regarding interviews and

to find out if an interviewer is available in your area

There is one final suggestion about presenting yourself to a U.S college or university Most colleges are looking for a varied student population that comes from many backgrounds and represents many different academic interests and personal qualities Don’t forget to stress the unique experience you will bring to the school

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED

Once you have received acceptances from the colleges that you applied to, there are several important steps that must be taken

Saying Yes or No

Each college will tell you exactly what steps to follow to confirm your acceptance of their offer of admission and how to prepare for the first term This information will be included with the letter of admission or in materials that will be sent to you shortly thereafter You must respond with a “yes” or “no” to each offer of admission You will usually be required to submit a financial deposit to the institution that you plan to attend This deposit will range from about $50 to $500 (higher in a few cases) and is used

to guarantee your place in the class As soon as you decide which college you want to attend, make sure to send your replies of both yes and no to all of the colleges that accepted you Make sure that you do not miss any deadlines

You may receive a letter that informs you that you are on a “waiting list.” This generally means that the admission office determined that you were qualified for admission but there was not enough room to admit all qualified applicants If you are placed on a waiting list at a college you wish to attend, you will be asked to respond “yes” or “no” to the offer of staying on the waiting list If you say yes, you may be offered admission later

if space becomes available If you have been placed on a waiting list at your first-choice college and offered admission by your second-choice school, you may wish to consider taking the following steps:

any required deposit

waiting list

If you are offered a place at your first-choice college later, you can withdraw from your place at your second-choice school (but you will have to forfeit your deposit) and then attend the college you wanted to go to most If you are not offered a place at your first-choice college, you can still attend your second-choice school when the academic term begins

Student Visas

The rules and regulations governing the entrance of all international students into the United States are complicated If you have any questions about matters relating to

adviser at the college you plan to attend He or she is specially trained and kept informed

of the latest information on laws, work permits, health insurance, and other matters

relating to international students and their dependents It is your responsibility,

however, to maintain your status by obtaining your forms at the correct time, keeping

your passport valid six months beyond the date of completion of your program, and

maintaining enrollment with a full course load

For more information on student visas, go to http://www.UnitedStatesVisas.gov/

studying.html

Fees and Other Expenses

A few U.S institutions require international students to pay the entire year’s fees in

advance U.S consular officers in some countries have begun to ask for proof of such

advance payment before issuing a visa Many have found this necessary to protect both

the student and the institution Problems have sometimes arisen from currency

restrictions imposed by the government of the student’s home country and sometimes

from the actions of dishonest students The solution for some colleges has been to

institute a policy of prepayment of fees Each institution will inform you if prepayment

is required Institutions with prepayment policies will not send the forms you need to

obtain a visa until payment has been received

Those colleges that do not require a full prepayment of fees may have several options

for fee payment Most colleges send bills twice a year, once in the summer before school

begins and again in the winter to cover the second half of the year’s fees Some colleges

will allow you to pay the annual fee in one large payment or to spread out your bill in

monthly installments You will be billed for the cost of tuition, general activities (to fund

student organizations), health insurance if required, and housing and meal costs if you

have chosen to live and eat on campus Extra costs, such as those for books and supplies,

recreational expenses, and travel will not be billed by the college, but you should make

sure to include them when determining your budget for the year

Another important item in financial planning is health and accident insurance Most

colleges require that all students be covered by a policy that will help with payment of

medical or hospital bills if they are sick or injured while in the United States There is

no national health-care plan in the United States All medical bills must be paid by the

individual or through an insurance policy Health care in the United States is very

expensive, and the approximately $800 per year that students must pay to be insured

is very reasonable Information on insurance policies and how to obtain proper coverage

will be supplied by the international student office at the college you choose to attend

Health insurance will not cover pre-existing conditions or dental care Even if your

college does not require you to take health insurance, you should not plan to live in the

United States without it

Each college has its own policies regarding living on campus and will usually offer a range of housing options It is important for you to study all of the housing information you receive This will typically be sent to you with your letter of admission or shortly afterward Some colleges require all first-year students to live on campus in college housing You will generally be asked to indicate your first, second, and third choices from among the options available If the type of room you want most is not available, the housing office can then provide you with a desirable alternative from your second or third choice A small number of colleges do not offer on-campus or college-sponsored housing If this is the case, they will usually help international students locate suitable housing through community organizations that are set up for this purpose

A free publication titled Getting Ready to Go: Practical Information for Living and

Studying in the United States is avalable from most EducationUSA advising centers It

will help you plan your arrival in the United States

HOW U.S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES EVALUATE

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS

Dale Edward Gough

Director, International Education Service

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)

If you are a student preparing to apply for admission to colleges and universities in the

United States, it is important for you to understand the procedures that most U.S

institutions follow when evaluating your academic credentials in order to decide

whether or not to admit you

In your country, it is probably the ministry of education, or some similar body, that

determines the eligibility of applicants from outside your education system In the U.S

there is no ministry of education to make such decisions Each college or university is

free to set its own standards for admission, and it is the responsibility of the institution

to review your previous education and academic performance to determine if you meet

those standards

U.S colleges and universities are generally classified as highly selective, selective,

somewhat selective, or open admission (institutions that can admit students regardless

of their previous academic performance) The level of selectivity that an institution

follows is based on many factors, and since each college and university has its own

admission criteria, your academic credentials may meet the standards at some

institu-tions but not at others

Many institutions have their own staff members evaluate or assess your previous

education Other institutions might require you to send your academic records to an

outside agency that specializes in providing evaluations of non-U.S education

Some-times an institution specifies a particular agency, or it might provide you with a list of

several agencies and ask you to choose one However, these agencies do not make the

decision whether or not to admit you They assess your previous education and provide

the institution with their evaluation The institution then makes the decision regarding

your admission

Pay close attention to the instructions on each application you submit and follow the

instructions carefully If you apply to more than one institution, you will probably be

required to follow different instructions for each one Do not assume that all

institu-tions’ requirements are the same

Here are some things to keep in mind when applying:

referred to in application materials as an “official transcript”) sent to the institu-tion (and to the reviewing agency, if one is being used) “Official” records mean that the school where you studied must send a copy of your academic record directly to