[1]Coming from a modest family, Delhi’s Ankit Talwar never thought his dream to join the IE Business School in Spain would come with a financial boost. “Clearing the TOEFL was itself an uphill task...
The thought of winning a scholarship was not even distant,” he recalls. Being a winner of the TOEFL scholarship by the test organiser, Educational Test-ing Service (ETS), meant that Talwar won $10,000.
For Swathi Meenakshi, another winner, the scholarship is a confidence booster too. Besides, it has helped cleared a few myths. “First, the test is not intimidating and does not require hours of reading English. One needs to be comfortable in the language. Books, Hollywood films and international documentaries are tools that help you begin early,” she says.
TOEFL is the most widely accepted English language assessment tool in the world, and the scholarships recognise the academic excellence of its test takers. This year, 10 Indian students have won the TOEFL scholarships worth US$70,000 to pursue their education worldwide. Applicants are judged on English communication, leadership skills and extracurricular activities. “Make sure you are honest about whatever you write in your profile, as you will be tested at all levels,” says Abhay Gandhi, another scholar. The winners have many tips for the aspirants. “Over-preparation never works. The sole attempt that works is to behave like a native Eng-lish speaker,” says Darshan Shah, another winner.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/group1jpg-431