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Taking the IELTS for US Schools

The IELTS is one of the standardized English tests accepted by a majority of US schools. Many international students have concerns on whether they can take the IELTS for US schools and what the requirements are. Here is an introduction about taking the IELTS for US schools.

Who accepts IELTS scores in US?

Traditionally, students take the TOEFL for US schools and the IELTS for schools in UK and Australia. However, there is an increasing number of US schools accepting IELTS scores these years as well. Over 3000 institutions and programs in US accept IELTS scores as a proof of your English language ability. You can search your preferred universities on  and you will find out whether they accept the IELTS and what is the minimum score requirement.

For example, if you search  on that website, it will tell that your IELTS band score should be at least 7 for applying to Harvard.


Is there any specific requirement?

Pay attention that the minimum score requirement may vary for applying to different departments. Some departments may have higher requirements on specific sections. For instance, applicants of   should have IELTS scores of 7.5 or higher with individual section scores of at least 7.5. Therefore, if you look for the requirement of a specific department, check the official admission website of your schools.

It is also possible that some departments of your preferred schools accept IELTS scores while some departments don’t. Take Harvard University as an example, doesn’t accept IELTS scores while accepts both TOEFL and IELTS scores.

It is also likely that some departments will prefer IELTS scores than TOEFL scores or even only accept the IELTS. For instance, if you want to apply to as a graduate student, the IELTS is the preferred test. Besides, graduate programs of  only accepts IELTS scores.

What kind of students may choose the IELTS?

From what I mentioned above, you can see that the IELTS is now more popular for US schools. However, the TOEFL is still the most widely-accepted test in US. If you want to take the language test before deciding which schools to apply to, the TOEFL will be a better choice. Otherwise,  consider the following suggestions!

  1. If IELTS scores are the only or the preferred choice of your dream programs, you will definitely take the IELTS.
  2. If your programs accept both TOEFL and IELTS scores, then check out the difference between the two tests and decide which one to take based on your own advantages and weakness. If you are good at paper-based test, face-to-face interview and prefer a shorter test, the IELTS will be a better choice for you.
  3. If you have taken TOEFL for multiple times but haven’t got good scores, you can try the IELTS.


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