What Is TOEFL?

The Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardised English language test administered by the Educational Testing Service and is taken by many foreign students whose first language is not English.  

TOEFL In Singapore?

By virtue of our largely English-based education, most Singaporeans are not required to, and should not take the TOEFL, since it is neither cheap (US$ 170 per sitting for an Online test) nor useful. Despite this, some schools popular with Singaporeans still require Singaporeans to be TOEFL-accredited as an admissions criteria. One reason cited (by UT Austin) is because Singapore does not conduct its education entirely in English (Teach Chinese/Malay/Tamil in English?).

Do I need to take the TOEFL?

TOEFL requirements vary from school to school.

For example, google "Brown TOEFL" and you get this: http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Admission/applyingtobrown/internationalstudents.html

A TOEFL score of 600 or above on the written exam, or 250 or above on the computer-based exam, is required in most cases. The TOEFL requirement is waived for candidates who have scored a 600 or above on the SAT I verbal examination.

For Cornell:

TOEFL Applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL and have the official score reported to Cornell from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).Only students who have studied full-time for two or more years at a college or university where English is the language of instruction located in a country where English is the native language are exempt from the TOEFL.

So for both cases, you would not need the TOEFL. It would be quite unlikely that anyone with a SAT I verbal score under 600 will get into Brown (though not impossible). Check out all the schools you're applying to, the information should be on the page with requirements for international applicants.

Which Schools?

A list of schools which do not automagically waive TOEFL for Singaporeans is provided below:

1. University of Wisconsin - Madison
2. University of Texas - Austin
3. Do add any here that you know of, this page is still a work in progress

What To Do If TOEFL Is Required? 

Do not fret, however, if the school you are applying to insists on a TOEFL score. There are ways of getting around this requirement. In order of importance, here are some things you should try:

1. Read the admissions website carefully to see if TOEFL can be waived if you meet a prerequisite SAT verbal score (this refers to your SAT I Critical Reading component and the minimum score can vary from school to school)
2. Check with existing university students/alumni about how they go around this requirement (see: Making the most out of a University Fair)
3. Call up the school (during their working hours, meaning calling at unGodly hours) and request to speak with someone who has the jurisdiction to attend to your situation. This could take a while, or several calls, so watch the phone bill.)
4. Usually an email to the undergrad admissions officer from the Contact Us page of the website will do the job, tell them your situation and highlight that english is your first language and perhaps 90% of your classes are in English. Also state any SAT scores or A/O Level English grades to substantiate your claim. Sometimes admissions offices try to -obscure/hide- emails of the admissions officers for good reasons, people tend to be lazy and go straight to them when the information is on the website. So do do your fair share of going around the website and use the website search if there is one. You will almost always be able to find the emails of the admissions officers, so write to them if all else fails or you have a special situation.