ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST

Competence in English must be demonstrated in order to qualify for admission. All international applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE). The minimum requirement for TOEFL, IELTS, PTE vary from school to school. Generally speaking, Ivy League or their equivalent counterparts require a minimum of 100 or higher on the Internet Based TOEFL or 600 or higher on the Paper Based TOEFL. Minimum required scores in the IELTS are an overall score of 7, and the minimum acceptable score on the PTE is 70. Other colleges generally have lower English language requirements. Many colleges offer ESL programs for students who need to improve their English.

 

 

Some colleges and universities make an exemption to applicants who for two or more years have attended a high school where the primary language of instruction is English in a country where English is one of the official languages (United States, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand etc). Top colleges  generally do not offer an ESL program for admitted students.

 

 

Standardized Tests: SSAT/ISEE, SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT

Most U.S. boarding schools require international students to take SSAT or ISEE test.

Most colleges and universities require SAT or ACT test scores. Some require scores on two or three SAT subject Tests. Most colleges will offer exceptions for students whose home country of schooling (for example, mainland China) do not have an SAT or ACT testing center.  Some colleges (Yale University) allow students enrolled in A-level programs to use two completed A-level results as a substitute for the two SAT Subject Tests.

 

 

Graduate Schools generally require GRE test. Applicants to business schools, law schools, and medical schools are required to submit official scores on GMAT, LSAT, MCAT respectively.

 

 

Financial Aid for International Students

Each school’s financial aid policy and financial resources are different. Most graduate programs offer scholarships (teaching assistantship or research assistantship) to international Ph.D. students. Most high schools and colleges do not offer financial aid to international students. Some state universities may waive the out-of-state tuition to international students. Some of the Ivy League universities (Harvard, Yale, Princeton) have “Need-blind” admission policy and offer need-based aid to international students. They make admissions decision based on applicant’s academic and personal promise, without regard to their ability to pay. “Need-based” means that financial aid packages are based on individual needs assessments, not based on merit (academic, athletic or otherwise). International students are evaluated using a needs analysis that takes into account the relative differences between the US economy and the economy of students’ home countries.

 

 

International Students Intending to Study Medicine

It is extremely difficult for international applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States to gain admission to U.S. medical schools. State-supported medical schools rarely consider international applicants for admission, and those private schools that do accept applications generally require that international students place in escrow an amount ranging from one to four years’ tuition and fees (USD 40,000–200,000). There are very few scholarships available for medical schools in the U.S., and to qualify for U.S. government-sponsored loans, the applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident.

 

International applicants who are considering a career as a medical doctor and hope to receive their education at an American medical school should think carefully before applying for admission to an undergraduate program in the United States.

 

 

Application Fee

Application fee varies from school to school. For most schools, the fee is generally non-refundable and cannot be waived. Some schools will waive the application fee if the applicant’s family income is below certain threshold limit.