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TOEFL Tip #18

When applying to a U.S. college, you must complete an application package. Your TOEFL score will be part of that package. You must also submit credits from previous schools, SAT scores, letters of recommendation, etc., and a personal essay. Many of my students ask me for advice before writing this essay. They say, "Professor Stirling, help! I want to go to M.I.T. How do I structure my personal essay? What should I say? What should I do?"

I say, "Write a TOEFL independent essay." Why? Because a personal essay is really just another name for the TOEFL independent essay. If you can write a TOEFL independent essay, you can write a personal essay for a college application package. Simple, right? Right.

There is a plethora of books and web sites on how to write a personal essay for a college application. Many of these books and links say your personal essay should be original. Original means your voice sets you apart from the other candidates. This is good advice for native English speakers, but if your first language is not English, don't try and be original. Why not? First, the school simply wants to know if you, the foreign student, can write a personal, American-style essay in English. Second, the school wants to know if you have a clear purpose for wanting to attend. That's all. You do not have to reinvent the wheel.

Remember: When writing your personal essay, use the KISS rule: Keep it simple stupid.

Want to learn how to write an independent essay you can also use for a personal essay for your college application package?

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The Pro

A great site for idioms.

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ESL Jobs Around the World

Africa

  www.aca.org.ma - Master Teacher/Center Director, Morocco

Asia and Oceania

  Diplomatic Language Services - EFL Instructor - UAE, United Arab Emirates

  Higher Colleges of Technology - English Faculty, United Arab Emirates

  NYU Abu Dhabi - TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE SPECIALIST, United Arab Emirates

  Beijing Huijia(IB) Private School - TESOL teachers needed for K-12 School -Beijing Huijia (IB) Private School, China

  Disney English - Disney English Foreign Trainer, China

  Deloitte - Deloitte Communication Excellence Learning Lead - Senior Manager, India

  Akita International University - English-for-Academic-Purposes: Full-time Position (Assistant Professor / Lecturer), Japan

  Akita International University - English-for-Academic-Purposes: Full-time Position (Professor), Japan

  Language School - Teacher of English as a Foreign Language, Japan

  St. Mary College/Nunoike Gaigo Senmon Gakko - EFL Instructor, Japan

  Korea University - Full time instructor - Korea University Sejong Campus, South Korea

  University of Macau - Director of the English Language Centre, Macau

  AMIDEAST - Director of English Language Programs, Saudi Arabia

  Booz Allen Hamilton - English Language Educational Technology Specialist, Saudi Arabia

  Booz Allen Hamilton - English Language Deputy Team Leader, Saudi Arabia

  Booz Allen Hamilton - English Language Instructor, Saudi Arabia

  Education Experts Company - ESL/EFL Teacher, Saudi Arabia

  INTERLINK Language Centers - ESL Teaching Positions, Saudi Arabia

  International Group For Training - IGIT - English Teacher, Saudi Arabia

  King Abdullah University of Science and Technology - ESP (English Specific Purposes) Instructor, Saudi Arabia

  English Language Fellow Program - Distance Education/Teacher Trainer in Thailand, Thailand

  Istanbul Kemerburgaz University - EFL / EAP INSTRUCTOR, Turkey

Central and South America

  Politecnico Internacional, Costa Rica - English instructor, Costa Rica

North America

  INTERLINK Language Centers - Full-Time ESL Instructors INTERLINK Language Center, United States

  Lone Star College System - Continuing Education Instructor - ESOL (LSC - Vietnam) (#1572), United States

  The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs - EFL Positions at the Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village, Daegu South Korea, United States

  Web International - Exciting Teaching Opportunities in China, United States

Other

  Education First EF - Director of Psychometrics,

  Education First EF - Director of Assessment Development and Research,

  TASIS The American School in England - Upper School ESL,

USA, AR

  Arkansas State University - Director of English as a Second Language Program, United States

  ELS Language Center - ELS Language Center, United States

USA, AZ

  Center for English as a Second Language - U Ariz. - Adjunct Instructor/Assessment Coordinator, United States

USA, CA

  California State University, Fullerton - American Language Program, Full-Time Lecturer, Non-Tenure Track, United States

  Soka University of America - Human Resources - ESL Instructor (one year contract, non-renewable), United States

  UC Irvine Extension - ESL Teacher (7 openings), United States

  USC Language Academy - Academic Director, United States

USA, DC

  GAP Solutions, Inc. - Senior Program Officer, United States

USA, FL

  Anita - Job Representative, United States

  Intensive English Program at the University Of Miami - Lecturer, Intensive English Program, United States

  University of Florida English Language Institute - Cultural Immersion Program Coordinator, United States

USA, IA

  Iowa State University - Iowa State University IEP Lecturershp, United States

USA, ID

  University of Idaho - Program Manager, United States

USA, MA

  Bentley University - Adjunct Lecturer - ESOL Expository Writing Fall 2011, United States

  Northeastern University - NU Global - ESL Instructors, United States

USA, MI

  Ferris State University - Intensive English Program Faculty/Coordinator - F42237, United States

  Ferris State University - Intensive English Program Faculty (FT Temporary - 12 Mo) - F42236, United States

USA, MT

  Montana State University Billings - Assistant Coordinator & Lead Instructor - ESL Programs, United States

USA, NY

  University at Buffalo, SUNY - Director, English Language Institute, United States

  Voxy - Online Community Manager, United States

  Voxy - English Language Learning Curriculum Materials Creator / Writer, United States

  Voxy - Spanish Editor, United States

USA, OH

  Intensive English Program, University of Dayton - Instructor, United States

  Miami University - Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor ESL Composition, 2 positions, United States

USA, PA

  ELP, University of Pennsylvania - Associate Director of Business Development, United States

  Graduate Education, University of Pennsylvania - Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor of Educational Linguistics, United States

  University of Pennsylvania - Advising Specialist, United States

USA, TN

  Teach Memphis - Dual Language, Spanish Speaking Elementary Teachers Needed! Teach Memphis., United States

USA, TX

  University of North Texas - ESL Instructor, United States

USA, VT

  Saint Michael's College - Full-time Instructor - Applied Linguistics, United States

USA, WA

  Bellingham Public School District - ELL Specialist, United States

  District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) - Special Education Teacher - DC Public Schools, United States

TOEFL Pro News!

Speaking and Writing Strategies for the TOEFL iBT is now available for all Apple products.

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500 Words, Phrases, and Idioms for the TOEFL iBT Plus Typing Strategies is now available for all Apple products.

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