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I am a Chinese student. I just took the SAT II this mourning, and I think I can get 800 on both Math and Physics. They are quite easy for me. But I did rather poorly on Writing. Maybe My score will be just around 650.
Will the low writing score hurt my chances in getting into universities like MIT or Cornell or Yale? For a international student,does a good score in writing very important?

By sgandhi on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 09:38 pm: Edit

I have a question. First, is English your native language? If not, you can take the TOEFL instead of the SAT II Writing. However, if English is your native language, you should raise your SAT II Writing score to around a 700, as many colleges desire a SAT II Writing score (MIT requires it, Cornell and Yale like it).

By Denise (Denise) on Sunday, October 20, 2002 - 06:22 am: Edit

hi,sqandhi
I've already taken the TOEFL, 'cos English is not my native language, and I got a 660 on the test. But some top colleges still require the sat2 writing score. Will a high TOEFL score balance it a little?

By Mandy on Sunday, October 20, 2002 - 12:05 pm: Edit

Yes, a high TOEFL will help balance it a bit. If you can, try to retake the SAT II Writing to get it closer to 700....practice writing essays, maybe bounce them off your teachers for their input. Otherwise, go forward with your app and write good essays there - that should help too.

By Denise (Denise) on Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 05:49 am: Edit

hello,Mandy, but what do you mean by app?

By Elson on Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 07:27 am: Edit

Denis, what is your SAT1 score?

By : on Saturday, October 26, 2002 - 12:32 pm: Edit

:|

By quark on Saturday, October 26, 2002 - 09:34 pm: Edit

If I am applying as a domestic students, but English is not my native language, will a score of about 700 on the SAT II Writing test satisfy colleges' TOEFL requirements? I mean, I could take the TOEFL, but it costs more than I would be willing to spend and I am sure I could get a high score on it. My SAT I Verbal score is low because of a poor vocabulary, but my ACT English score is in the 96th percentile and I am pretty sure that after today's ACT, it will be even higher. Vocabulary is my only problem. I am pretty darn good at English, so I don't think that taking TOEFL would allow colleges to evaluate my proficiency in English to a great extent... I have studied in the US for 3 years (will be 3.5 when I gradute from HS) and have always gotten A's in my English classes. I have also taken Honors English as a Junior and am currently enrolled in AP English, where I have 99.2%.

My point and question: do I need to worry about TOEFL when I have a great academic record with rigorous English courses and high ACT?

By monica on Sunday, October 27, 2002 - 01:58 am: Edit

call or email the admissions office. i know different colleges have varying standards on this.