For a prospective international graduate student, standardized tests are among the toughest U.S. university admissions hurdles.
But U.S. graduate schools have varying policies, and some allow international applicants to bypass exams like the Test of English as a Foreign Language and Graduate Record Examinations, depending upon the school and program. Experts suggest carefully researching schools for their policies on these tests.
English Proficiency Test Alternatives
Prospective international students concerned about English language proficiency test scores have options.
For example, the University of Delaware‘s English Language Institute has the Conditional Admissions Program for graduate students who are otherwise admissible except for English proficiency. Students can enroll in CAP to build their skills before beginning their graduate program, without needing a score on the IELTS or TOEFL, the two common standardized English proficiency tests.
Nancy Svenson, associate vice president for graduate and professional enrollment at the University of Redlands in California, says while nearly all international students whose first language is not English need to submit proof of English language proficiency through a TOEFL, Duolingo English Test, or other approved proficiency exam, there are a few exceptions.
“International applicants who completed their undergraduate degree in English may request to have the English language proficiency requirement waived, as well as applicants who have an in-person interview with an admissions representative or faculty,” Svenson says.
[READ: Duolingo English Test and U.S. College Admissions]
At West Texas A&M University, applicants who are citizens of the countries listed on the school’s website, such as Ghana, Liberia and Commonwealth Caribbean countries, are exempt from the English proficiency requirement. The university also accepts language of instruction documents from schools in countries not automatically exempted, as well as the Duolingo English Test, Pearson Test of English, ACT English sub-score, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Cambridge certificates as alternatives to the TOEFL or IELTS.
“West Texas A&M has an assessment process to consider other English proficiency exemptions on a case-by-case basis,” says Virginia Leathers, executive director of admissions.
GRE Alternatives and Exemptions
Several U.S. colleges offer programs that don’ require the GRE, the graduate school entry exam that tests verbal, quantitative reasoning and writing skills. Examples include the electrical engineering and computer science department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and master’s degree programs at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering.
[Read: Reach, Target, Safety: How to Choose MBA Programs Strategically.]
Jeremy Mixell, director of graduate international admission at DePaul University in Chicago, says the school offers more than 175 graduate programs in 10 colleges and schools, and most programs don’t require the GRE.
“The GRE is, however, strongly recommended for admission into select programs within our College of Science and Health, is required for our industrial and organizational psychology program as well as our Ph.D. in computer and information science,” Mixell says.
In programs where a GRE score is highly recommended, Mixell says “score waivers are available for those with courses and grades that fall in the top of their class.”
Paul Haught, associate provost for graduate academic affairs and professional education at the University of Dayton in Ohio, says most of the school’s 48 master’s programs don’t require the GRE or GMAT.
Haught says the school considers many factors when evaluating applications, including cumulative GPA, the path a student’s GPA takes, GPA in key courses, time since the candidate earned an undergraduate degree, and a personal statement. These admission requirements “help ensure quality and program alignment without adding another hurdle for international students.”
Despite having an average GRE score, Indian national Swahnika Aitharaju earned a graduate degree in computer science from Dayton. She says she appreciates that the school gives “importance to undergrad grades and other accomplishments by students rather than accepting students based on GRE.”
GMAT Alternatives and Exemptions
Students seeking an MBA typically take the GMAT or GRE. But some colleges don’t require the GMAT for admission, such as Ohio University‘s professional MBA program, the University of Delaware’s MBA programs and Arizona State University‘s online MBA program.
[READ: 10 Ways International Students Can Pay for U.S. Graduate School.]
Jigar Trivedi, who attended law school in India, took the GRE twice but had little time to properly prepare for the test due to his busy schedule. So the University of Redlands — where he earned an MBA with a global business emphasis — was a good option for him.
“They evaluated my credentials based on my transcripts, resume and essay,” Trivedi says.
The University of Redlands and University of Dallas MBA programs, University of California–Los Angeles Anderson School of Management and DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business are test optional, which means applicants can decide whether to submit test scores.
Some schools, like the University of California–Davis Graduate School of Management and Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, offer a GMAT waiver for their full-time MBA programs, based on factors like work experience or holding a professional degree from a U.S. college.
Trivedi suggests prospective international students weigh all of their options, including universities that don’t require standardized tests and look instead at GPA, work experience and other criteria.
“Merely a few hours of testing will not decide your future goals and neither should demotivate you,” Trivedi says. “Aptitude tests are part of applications but not the decision-maker of your career.”
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Bypass TOEFL, GRE, GMAT to Attend U.S. Graduate Schools originally appeared on usnews.com
