English Language Proficiency
All classes at William & Mary are conducted in English, and your assignments, papers and tests must be written in acceptable English. Therefore, all admitted students must be able to speak and write fluently in English.
TOEFL , IELTS, Duolingo
If English is not your native language, and if your schooling during the past four years or more has been in a language other than English, the university strongly recommends you to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Test. Any student who has spoken a language other than English in the home should strongly consider submitting TOEFL or IELTS test scores as they give the Admission Committee additional testing to use together with the verbal part of the SAT or the ACT if submitted.
Generally, William & Mary is looking for a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL exam which can come from a single test date or from ETS' My Best score calculation. On the IELTS Academic Test, we are looking for an overall band score of 7 or above. Because we evaluate a large number of strong applications using a holistic approach that includes both academic and personal qualities, no score on the TOEFL or IELTS guarantees admission to William & Mary.
William & Mary also welcomes Duolingo exam scores, particularly in instances where an applicant does not have access to the TOEFL or IELTS exams.
Interviews
Additionally, applicants can also submit an Initial View or Duolingo interview to be considered with the application. Any combination of testing and an interview or even an interview alone, in the event that you cannot access language testing, would help the committee holistically review your application.
College application guidelines can be very different for each university. If you have any questions as you prepare to apply to William & Mary, please don’t hesitate to contact the International Admission Dean.
SAT and ACT
Any student applying to William & Mary may take a standardized test that measures aptitude in math and verbal areas. International students, like their domestic counterparts, may choose to take either the SAT or the ACT: American College Testing. William & Mary does not require any SAT or ACT scores. Read more about our use of the SAT and ACT in the admission process.
Resources
If forms to register for the TOEFL are not available at your present school, contact the TOEFL Program Office, Box 6155, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6155, U.S.A, phone 1 + 609-921-9000, FAX 1 + 609-279-9146, or www.toefl.org. You may also request practice test booklets from the Educational Testing Service. Please visit www.ielts.org for more information on IELTS test centers and how to register for an exam. IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
If your school does not have registration forms please contact the College SAT Program, P.O. Box 6200, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6200, U.S.A., FAX 1 + 609-771-7773, www.collegeboard.org for SAT information or the American College Testing Program, P.O. Box 414, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, www.act.org for ACT information.
Helpful Information
Keep in mind that test registration deadlines are usually 6-8 weeks before the actual test date, and it can take a month or more after the test is taken for universities to receive your scores. Careful planning is required so that all testing is completed before the application deadline date of January 1 (or earlier if you are applying for Early Decision I - deadline November 1). The TOEFL, SAT and ACT are given several times a year worldwide. International schools and educational advising centers supported by U.S. consulates or embassies should be able to provide you with test registration packets and sample test booklets. Students taking the SAT may want to request the booklet Taking The SAT from the College Board. Other publications available from the College Board include: The College Handbook Foreign Student Supplement and The College Handbook. The College Board address for publications is College Board Publications, Box 886, New York, NY, 10101-0886, U.S.A. Bookstores in the United States and sometimes abroad sell trade books on how to take these standardized tests; the SAT, ACT and TOEFL are mostly multiple choice format and are divided into sections that have time limits for completion. If you are unfamiliar with this type of testing, you may find additional information booklets and practice tests helpful. Please be sure that the College Board Testing Program sends the results of these examinations to William & Mary.
