College Admissions

Do you really have to take the TOEFL?

Do you really have to take the TOEFL?

If you are a non-native English speaker applying to college either from a US or international high school overseas, you will likely wonder— “Do I have to take the TOEFL or IELTS in order to apply to college in the US?" It is a good, and important question! Unfortunately the answer is not clear cut but well worth looking into where you fit in. 

Why try to avoid the TOEFL? Well, few sane people prefer to spend their time preparing for standardized tests. Preparing for another high-stakes standardized test adds stress, and takes time away from keeping up your grades and preparing for the SAT or ACT. But is there a need to take it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. 

If you are a non-native English speaker having studied in the US through high school but your 

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How A Humorous Essay Helped One Girl Get Into 5 Ivy League Schools and Stanford

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How A Humorous Essay Helped One Girl Get Into 5 Ivy League Schools and Stanford

In April of this year, senior in high school, Brittany Stinson learned she was accepted into top US universities including U Penn, Dartmouth, Columbia, Cornell, Yale and Stanford, with a lower-4.69%- acceptance rate than any of the Ivies. 

Of course, Stinson boasts an incredible academic and extracurricular record. However, her story became a viral sensation when Business Insider published her winning essay- which combined a dose of humor and enthusiasm to lay out her character as unique from thousands of other applicants. How did she begin this quest to distinguish herself?