Unf***kin believable!! DAMN YOU TOEFL!

[surprisecake]

Gave the test on Nov 13th... waited for my scores to come before the my Dec 1st deadlines... I get this email today

Dear *******************,

We are writing to you regarding the iBT TOEFL that you had taken on November 13, 2010. Please accept our apologies for the delay in reporting your test scores. Unfortunately we are not able to score your test due to problems scoring the speaking section of your test. When the raters attempted to score your speaking section, they could not hear your responses.

Please use the voucher authorization number below and also listed on your web TOEFL iBT profile to schedule another test date. The voucher number will pay for the test.

WHY DONTCHA JUST SHOOT ME IN THE FACE!

[newms]

You seem to have a pretty good command of the English language, right down to common idiomatic expressions - are you sure that you need the TOEFL? Many schools have waivers for the TOEFL if you were educated at a school that taught in English or if English is your native language.

[eklavya]

Gave the test on Nov 13th... waited for my scores to come before the my Dec 1st deadlines... I get this email today

told ya.... this is just one of the numerous dumb explanations ETS comes up with, after they screw people in the rear.

guys, lets raise money to build an empire-state-tall effigy of ETS, and burn it in front of them. i'll bear the consequences

[surprisecake]

English is the ONLY language I have ever been able to speak, I wrote for the most widely circulated english daily publication on the planet (largely due to Indians being the most number of anything), have 2 peer reviewed publications in english journals and scored 740 V in the GRE and if the TOEFL ruins this application cycle for me, I am really going to spontaneously combust in misery.

God knows I tried to find a way out of it but I have been told by almost everyone I asked that the toefl is *COMPULSORY FOR ALL INDIANS*

[fuzzylogician]

Oh no!

Locally I'd suggest that you submit your applications without the scores, if possible, or enter some filler in case you have to enter something. Attach a note or send an email explaining the situation. There is nothing you can do now -- including asking for a waiver -- it's the last minute. All you can do is do the best with what you have. In many cases schools will accept test scores after the deadline; they are not critical to the evaluation of applications, they're just a formality that the school has to have before they can admit you. Once that is done, schedule the test again as soon as possible so you don't miss any other deadlines (they're making you take the whole thing again ?!). This all sucks, though. I'm sorry this happened to you!

[newms]

English is the ONLY language I have ever been able to speak, I wrote for the most widely circulated english daily publication on the planet (largely due to Indians being the most number of anything), have 2 peer reviewed publications in english journals and scored 740 V in the GRE and if the TOEFL ruins this application cycle for me, I am really going to spontaneously combust in misery.

God knows I tried to find a way out of it but I have been told by almost everyone I asked that the toefl is *COMPULSORY FOR ALL INDIANS*

Try to contact the admissions people and explain the situation you face with ETS - I'm international as well (though not from India) and the TOEFL has been waived on all my programs. It really would be beyond stupidity for them to stringently require the TOEFL when you are a native speaker and can demonstrably prove your facility with the language.

Edited November 30, 2010 by newms

[surprisecake]

I got through to one of the two schools with deadlines tomorrow (Berkeley) and she was quite nice about it. She said she'd never heard of this happening to anyone and that its okay if my scores arrive later. I will be retaking it on the 11th of Dec - right in between the final finals of my 5 year degree - fantastic. I must have sounded like the miserable little girl that I feel like right now because she told me not to worry about it as long as I took it soon.

Indiana (SPEA) refuse to pick up their phones and I spent a 10 minute international call listening to their hold music.

Thank god for this place. If i had nowhere to vent about this, I would have gone insane.

[eklavya]

Try to contact the admissions people and explain the situation you face with ETS - I'm international as well (though not from India) and the TOEFL has been waived on all my programs. It really would be beyond stupidity for them to stringently require the TOEFL when you are a native speaker and can demonstrable prove your facility with the language.

although english is widely spoken in india, indians aren't native speakers of english. agreed, they learn it in/from their infancy, but they aren't recognized as native speakers. although i think this needs to be changed... for the benefit of students from several other countries, not just india.

i am an international too (not an indian though, unlike what my screen name might suggest), and although i learned english all the way through high school, i had to take the toefl to come to the states. the only reason why they aren't asking it again is because i got my BS here.

[surprisecake]

newms, how did you get them to waive the toefl requirement for you?

[newms]

newms, how did you get them to waive the toefl requirement for you?

I contacted the admissions people and explained that I was a native speaker who did my undergrad at a school that teaches in English. I just asked if the TOEFL was necessary and all the schools I had asked said no.

[surprisecake]

Got through to Indiana. Again, she was very nice about it and told me I could explain the situation and send in my scores letter... but they can't waive it unless I got my undergraduate degree from the US. I tried to sound as englishly proficient as possible over the phone (haha), but no luck!

[Alyanumbers]

Man, I'm sorry to hear about this. WTF is up with ETS? It took them over two weeks to not hear your answers? What a load of crap.

Good luck with your retake! And don't fret too much--I'm sure the schools are not that worried about your English, especially if you've already published.

[surprisecake]

I mailed my dream school. I got a very terse, generic reply saying my application cannot be considered unless it is complete and that if i send it late, it may be considered on a "space available" basis.

I've been working toward THIS school for more than a year of my life. All my other applications are doppelgangers.

I feel like my life is over.... because I can't prove that I speak english. What kind of cruel punishment is this!!

[newms]

Don't give up! A lot of programs don't even begin to look at applications until after the Christmas break, some time in January. If you do the TOEFL on Dec 11, it should get to the school by the end of Dec? If so they may have it before they make any awarding of places.

Edited December 2, 2010 by newms

[shepardn7]

I mailed my dream school. I got a very terse, generic reply saying my application cannot be considered unless it is complete and that if i send it late, it may be considered on a "space available" basis.

I've been working toward THIS school for more than a year of my life. All my other applications are doppelgangers.

I feel like my life is over.... because I can't prove that I speak english. What kind of cruel punishment is this!!

Oh man. If I were you, I would email your dream advisor and explain everything that happened. Don't be dramatic or beg to have your application looked at! Use a very professional and formal tone. Just explain the situation, note that the reply from the admin said your application won't be at all considered, and convey your enthusiasm for the program (and maybe for working with him or her?) and deep regrets this debacle (which is out of your control and unfair) might mean the adcom won't review or seriously consider your file. I have no idea if this is acceptable or good etiquette (someone else might want to weigh in), but it's what I would do. I would think there's a slim chance the prof. might make sure your incomplete file gets read, if he's feeling generous. When is the deadline?

Edited December 2, 2010 by sarandipidy

[shepardn7]

Don't give up! A lot of programs don't even begin to look at applications until after the Christmas break, some time in January. If you do the TOEFL on Dec 11, it should get to the school by the end of Dec? If so they may have it before they make any awarding of places.

This is also true. Depending on the deadline, it might get there after all.

[surprisecake]

There's 2 issues with that:

First, about mailing the advisors- I am applying to a mix of programs, some MS's and some soft interdisciplinary degrees. My dream school offers a soft degree- which means no one gets that excited about a particular graduate student anyway. I was under the impression that you can try and form a relationship with an advisor at the Phd level, or wherever there's resesarch involved. I just don't know why anyone would want to back my application given there are no hardcore research labs associated with this program.

Second, I'm VERY sure they won't get around to really sorting through applications before my new test scores arrive, but the email response was firm that if my application package comes in late (which it will), it won't be considered with all the applications that were recieved before the deadline... to be fair to the people who managed to stick to the deadline, i guess. So even if I get my application in while they are still considering the others, it appears they are not going to get around to it unless there is an unfilled spot from the first batch! I'm guessing this makes it worse since the international pool is smaller than the general pool. Im thinking, best case scenario i will be on waitlisted, and I have no hope of being offered financial aid.

[newms]

Second, I'm VERY sure they won't get around to really sorting through applications before my new test scores arrive, but the email response was firm that if my application package comes in late (which it will), it won't be considered with all the applications that were recieved before the deadline... to be fair to the people who managed to stick to the deadline, i guess. So even if I get my application in while they are still considering the others, it appears they are not going to get around to it unless there is an unfilled spot from the first batch! I'm guessing this makes it worse since the international pool is smaller than the general pool. Im thinking, best case scenario i will be on waitlisted, and I have no hope of being offered financial aid.

So it's that you won't be able to submit your application UNTIL your scores arrive? Or can you submit your application before the deadline and have the scores arrive after?

[surprisecake]

I'm really not sure. Like I said, the mail was a generic response, I'm not sure they really understood the case, and they haven't given me any specific answers.

On the one hand the email said: "Late applications and materials may still be submitted after this date, but I cannot guarantee that your file will be reviewed by the Committee. Such applications will only be considered on a "space available" basis."

and then it went on to say: "The Admissions Committee will not be able to review your application file until all materials, including the GRE, have been received."

I don't know if that means that they will put me up for consideration when my TOEFL scores arrive, or because my application is not complete by the deadline, it won't be considered with the on-time applicants even if my scores TECHNICALLY arrive at the same time the other ones are being considered.

I'm sorry if i'm being unclear... i'm very confused myself. I dont know how to put it, there are so many eventualities!

[newms]

I'm really not sure. Like I said, the mail was a generic response, I'm not sure they really understood the case, and they haven't given me any specific answers.

On the one hand the email said: "Late applications and materials may still be submitted after this date, but I cannot guarantee that your file will be reviewed by the Committee. Such applications will only be considered on a "space available" basis."

and then it went on to say: "The Admissions Committee will not be able to review your application file until all materials, including the GRE, have been received."

I don't know if that means that they will put me up for consideration when my TOEFL scores arrive, or because my application is not complete by the deadline, it won't be considered with the on-time applicants even if my scores TECHNICALLY arrive at the same time the other ones are being considered.

I'm sorry if i'm being unclear... i'm very confused myself. I dont know how to put it, there are so many eventualities!

Ok, well what you do is make sure you submit the online application by the deadline - they probably won't forward your application to the adcomm until the TOEFL scores get there, but that still might not be a problem, as it is quite likely that the adcomm won't meet until after the holidays. When your TOEFL scores get there, your application will be forwarded to the adcomm and as I said, its quite likely that the adcomm won't have considered any applications yet. It is still quite possible that your app will be considered with all the others, so don't give up.

Perhaps you can look up on the gradcafe's survey to see when admissions were given out last year. That would give you an idea of when the admissions committee met last year.

[surprisecake]

Thank you, newms. Its very comforting to hear a voice of reason.

I also just contacted someone I met through Gradcafe a year ago, who got into my dreamschool last year... and she is super, super helpful. Thank god for this place!

I am going to keep updating this thread til my scores are in.

Someone from ETS is also going to call me back in 48 hours. I asked them to re-score my test as if I just stayed quiet during the speaking question. I don't wont those 30 points! i'm sure i'll still be over 80. I also demanded that they give me my scores in a day after i take it on the 12th. Haha. I'm dying inside but I am aware of what an entitled princess I acted like with ETS. They had better fix this!!

[shepardn7]

Thank you, newms. Its very comforting to hear a voice of reason.

I also just contacted someone I met through Gradcafe a year ago, who got into my dreamschool last year... and she is super, super helpful. Thank god for this place!

I am going to keep updating this thread til my scores are in.

Someone from ETS is also going to call me back in 48 hours. I asked them to re-score my test as if I just stayed quiet during the speaking question. I don't wont those 30 points! i'm sure i'll still be over 80. I also demanded that they give me my scores in a day after i take it on the 12th. Haha. I'm dying inside but I am aware of what an entitled princess I acted like with ETS. They had better fix this!!

I think your demands are reasonable. This is not the first time this has happened; other scores have been thrown out (check around online for similar stories). Customers pay over a hundred dollars for these tests, plus extra score reports, plus spend time and money preparing for them, plus experience the stress of taking a (now voided) test, and ETS really needs to make sure their mistakes don't ruin customers' chances at schools and fellowships. It's their duty to you to score that test right away and make sure the school understands that the fault is theirs.

Edited December 2, 2010 by sarandipidy

[surprisecake]

Hahah. Whoops.

I got sick of getting dreamschool's voicemail and called the admissions director's office. After I hyperventilated and babbled for a while, she told me I just had to have taken the test by the deadline. Its ok if the scores come later.

Apparently the first guy who had replied to me hadn't even read my mail, or didn't care enough to give me the right information.

Phew, my top 2 schools have okayed the situation. I'm only worried about one of my meh schools, because i've already spent the time and (lots of) money on them.

Crisis averted! Sorry for the drama, gradcafe. I will still keep everyone posted about what ETS offers me as a solution

[newms]

Hahah. Whoops.

I got sick of getting dreamschool's voicemail and called the admissions director's office. After I hyperventilated and babbled for a while, she told me I just had to have taken the test by the deadline. Its ok if the scores come later.

Apparently the first guy who had replied to me hadn't even read my mail, or didn't care enough to give me the right information.

Phew, my top 2 schools have okayed the situation. I'm only worried about one of my meh schools, because i've already spent the time and (lots of) money on them.

Crisis averted! Sorry for the drama, gradcafe. I will still keep everyone posted about what ETS offers me as a solution

Awesome. Great news!

[surprisecake]

sarandipity- the first thing that the ETS employee on the phone offered me was an official letter from ETS explaining the problem to my schools.

I think the next time someone calls me i am going to say JUST GIMME THE SCORES JUST GIMME THE SCORES over and over until someone just gives me the scores.

thanks for the supportive suggestions

You know whats hilarious? I am a shy public speaker, and on one of my four speaking tasks, i made a somewhat embarrassing mistake and I was so mortified that I slapped my forehead, stop speaking mid sentence and just waited for the last few seconds of the clock to count down. It might have been as long as 8 seconds. However, my other 3 tasks sounded like I was a normal human being. I have this horrible, sinking feeling that they thought my actual silence was a mic error. Or i'm being ridiculous. I don't know.

Edited December 2, 2010 by surprisecake