Is TOEFL required for MBA?

Question

Hey guys
I am not sure if this question has already been asked in this forum. But can somebody please tell me if TOEFL is always required to get admission in B-Schools in USA?

bb · Answer

Yes. However, there are exceptions. 1. If you have studied in the US before (most US schools will honor this and will not require TOEFL) 2. If instruction at your local school was in English (this policy varies from school to school) The argument that I usually bring up is that GMAT is a lot harder than TOEFL, but it is still required. If you need to take TOEFL, do it before GMAT - it will give you some familiarity with the test center, procedures, etc (you will be taking both tests at the same place) - I took TOEFL on Saturday and GMAT on Monday - worked very well

hgp2k · Answer

Cool. Thank you bb!!

manu136 · Answer

hey guys,

so what you are saying is, we need to check with the particular school if it considers TOEFL mandatory or not?
If the medium of instruction through out my career was in English, is there a good proportion of the schools that do not require TOEFL?

Thanks!

AN225 · Answer

Manu, it's much easier to take the test and forget about it than to cherry-pick the schools.
From serious ones, only MIT does not require it.

manu136 · Answer

thanks buddy..exactly the kind of answer i was looking for.. so my euphoria of cracking the GMAT will last only so long before I must start worrying about TOEFL.. :evil:

AN225 · Answer

TOEFL is NOTHING in comparison to GMAT!

bb · Answer

FYI: toefl-score-requirements-for-most-popular-schools-80110.html

manu136 · Answer

perfect! bb, you rock! :-D

scorpionz · Answer

Well, my opinion differs from bb's slightly with regards to the timing of the TOEFL..

As rightly said my most, TOEFL is nothing compared to the GMAT..Hence in my opinion, if one has prepared seriously for GMAT, TOEFL can be taken any time after the GMAT. Do note that there is a "Listening" and "Speaking" section on the TOEFL which is not like anything on the GMAT. However it is quite easy and should be a cakewalk after a couple of sample exercises..

One of the important points to remember with regards to TOEFL is that ETS takes a loooooong time to send out the TOEFL scores unlike GMAC. The official GMAT score report comes out within 7-10 days, however the official TOEFL score report comes out only after about 45 days (at least for internationals like me). ETS also takes the same amount of time to send the official score report to the institutions chosen by you.

Hence in summary, in my opinion a couple of things should be kept in mind - 
1. If the colleges you are targeting require TOEFL, then appear for TOEFL a couple of months before the deadlines you are applying to..
2. If you have plenty of time on hand, then focus on GMAT first and once you ace GMAT, taking TOEFL will be like a stroll in the garden...

Just my two cents...

Is TOEFL required for MBA?

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