Toefl requirement- 109. What if i apply with lower score?

Question

Hi friends,

"The MBA Admissions Board discourages any candidate with a TOEFL score lower than 109 on the iBT, an IELTS score lower than 7.5, or a PTE score lower than 75 from applying " is cited on HBS's page.

If my toefl score is lower than 109, but still above 100, could i still apply HBS?

" discourage" does not mean impossible?
I am from Vietnam. 109 is really my concern. Thank you.

DensetsuNo · Answer

Hey littlegirl,
when I was in Boston I took a tour of HBS and participated in the ensuing Q&A. In the Q&A someone asked the same question you just asked us, and their answer was yes:  a score of 109 is required . And their reasoning was, if I recall correctly, that they experienced problems with people who scored lower than 109, meaning those people were not fully able to participate in the class jeopardizing the class experience for the others.

That said I'm sure that if you scored 107 and have an outstanding application they won't bother too much with the two points gap.

Cheers,
Den

GyanOne · Answer

Hi

The 109 is almost an absolute requirement at HBS, and this is why they state that number on their site. By the way, we agree with you that the 109 at HBS is quite high - most other schools have limits that are much lower. For example, at Haas (Berkeley), it is 90.

littlegirl · Answer

Thank DensetsuNo and GyanOne for advices :-D

DensetsuNo · Answer

Never mind, and good luck!

StratusDonna · Answer

HiLine · Answer

Sounds like this question would be more appropriate addressed to a Harvard admission officer.

I would encourage the OP to score at least 109, given that a lower score is explicitly looked down upon.

StratusDonna · Answer

Agreed that it is always good to ask the school for guidance, but keep in mind that the "school" is always a collection of individuals and certainly different people might have slight thoughts on grey areas like being very close to a cutoff. But 100% if a school puts details on a website like a minimum TOEFL that this is important.

I am speaking more hypothetically here and not about Harvard but it is good to keep in mind there are general guidelines and then there is each person and their unique situation. My point was simply that let's say a person started five companies with revenues in the 100 millions and let's say they had a 760 GMAT and a 3.9 from a very prestigious international program and they started an NGO that gives fresh water to thousands... If a school saw all that.. Maybe they would look at a person with a TOEFL one point under stated limit... And you will never know unless you apply! But yes Harvard does state a minimum of 109 in TOEFL and it is always best to ask the school when you have a very school specific question!

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HanoiGMATtutor · Answer

Unless you have some sort of handicap, you really should be able to score 109 on the TOEFL if you are capable of surviving Harvard. Classes at HBS are heavily discussion-based, and extracurricular activities are sometimes as intense as classes. You'll absolutely need to speak fluent, academics- and business-oriented English in order to have a good interview, to begin with.

If you have reservations about your English skills, I recommend that you brush up on those skills as soon as possible if you are planning to apply this year.

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If you have reservations about your English skills, I recommend that you brush up on those skills as soon as possible if you are planning to apply this year.

Posted from my mobile device

Ashgaroth · Answer

A friend of mine was accepted with a 107 TOEFL to the class of 2018 and he does not have an "extraordinary" profile.

So it is not "109 or bust"

bb · Answer

Toefl requirement- 109. What if i apply with lower score?

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