The USA attracts a large number of international student populations. Due to its world-ranked universities, and globally recognized educational degrees. The United States provides opportunities for academically motivated crowds as well as career-motivated crowds to grow. Top universities, diverse opportunities, and high success rates make the USA a prime destination for all international students.
But, it is not a simple task to enter the country. Applicants need a variety of detailed documents with all the minimum requirements to be fulfilled. One of the most important documents is a Language proficiency test result. So let’s take a deeper look into this factor.
A variety of language tests are valid in the States including IELTS (International English Language Testing System), TOEFL (test of English as a foreign language), and CAE (Cambridge Assessment English). But today, we will be focusing on IELTS along with a few important details related to the test.
WHAT IS IELTS?
This is simply a test for non-native English speakers to check their ability and proficiency in the English language. The main purpose of this test is to check the reading, listening, and writing abilities with the reasoning skills of the applicant. Not just the US but a whole bunch of other countries like Canada and the United Kingdom trust the IELTS for applicant selection. You do not need to be a perfect English speaker to get a high band score in IELTS, but you need to have a good way of communicating in English. Once you are done with attempting all 4 parts of your test, you will be shown your band score and then your overall band score. The Overall band score is the average of all four sections’ band scores rounded to the closest half-band.
BAND REQUIREMENTS IN IELTS
Every institute has its different band requirements for the selection. But to be selected anywhere students should try to score the maximum to study in USA. But at least a 6.5 band overall is required to be on the safer side. The normal IELTS bands start from 1 up to 9, where 1 is the least, and 9 is the maximum number of bands achieved.
Level of Excellence | IELTS band | |
Expert user | 9 | |
Very good user | 8 | |
Good user | 7 | |
Competent user | 6 | |
Modest user | 5 | |
Limited user | 4 | |
Extreme limited user | 3 | |
Intermittent user | 2 | |
Extremely limited user | 1 | |
Non-user | 0 |
FOR GRADUATION DEGREE: The band requirement usually changes as per the rank of the university and the choice of course that the applicant wants to apply to. If you are planning to go to the States right after your secondary education, you have to make sure that to get into a good university, you should at least have a score band of 6 – 6.5, this can also increase up to a 7 band if you want to pursue your education in a high ranked university or college.
FOR POST-GRADUATION DEGREE: The band requirement to get into a good university to pursue your master’s degree is the applicant must have a minimum band result of 7.0 bands. This score might also change for the university you are applying to and the type of course that you are choosing. But to be on the safer side a score of 7.0 should be attained.
TOP UNIVERSITIES OF THE USA AND THEIR BAND REQUIREMENTS 2024
NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY | GLOBAL RANK | IELTS BAND FOR UG | IELTS BAND FOR PG | |
Harvard University | 2 | 7 | 7 | |
California Institute Of Technology | 2 | 7 | 7 | |
Stanford University | 4 | 7 | 7 | |
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology | 5 | 7 | 7 | |
Princeton University | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
University Of California | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
Yale University Of Chicago | 10 | 7 | 7 | |
Colombia University | 11 | 7 | 7 | |
Johns Hopkins University | 13 | 7 | 7 | |
University Of Los Angeles | 20 | 7 | 7 | |
Cornell University | 22 | 7 | 7.5 | |
Duke University | 23 | 7 | 7 | |
University Of Michigan | 24 | 7 | 7 | |
Northwestern University | 24 | 7.5 | 7.5 | |
New York University | 26 | 7.5 | 7.5 | |
Carnegie Mellon University | 28 | 7.5 | 7.5 | |
University Of Washington | 29 | 7 | 7 | |
University Of San Diego | 34 | 7 | 7 | |
The University Of Texas At Austin | 47 | 6.5 | 6.5 | |
University Of Illinois | 48 | 6.5 | 6.5 | |
Washington University In St Louis | 51 | 7 | 7 | |
The University Of North Carolina | 52 | 7 | 7 | |
University Of Wisconsin-Madison | 58 | 6.5 | 7 | |
Boston University | 58 | 6.5 | 7 | |
University Of Southern California | 63 | 7 | 7 | |
Brown University | 64 | 8 | 7 | |
University Of Davis | 67 | 7 | 7 | |
University Of Santa Barbara | 68 | 7 | 7 | |
Ohio State University | 85 | 6.5 | 7 | |
University Of Minnesota | 86 | 6.5 | 6.5 | |
University Of College Park | 93 | 7 | 7 | |
University Of Irvine | 98 | 7 | 7 | |
Dartmouth College | 99 | 7 | 7 | |
Purdue University | 105 | 6.5 | 6.5 | |
Vanderbilt University | 113 | 6.5 | 7 | |
Pennsylvania State University | 119 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
HOW TO SCORE A GOOD BAND IN IELTS?
- The first step is to be fully aware of the format, details, duration, and type of questions in the exam.
- Since time plays a really important part in the test, you have to be practicing time-saving techniques to get a good score and complete the whole exam on time.
- Improve your reading abilities by practicing more. Try reading more articles, newspapers, or books to make your mind sharp in grabbing the words faster.
- Improve listening skills by inculcating podcasts movies or songs in your daily schedule.
- Build your vocabulary learn more of new words and practice to gather new vocabulary for scoring high bands.
- Improve your writing skills as they play a crucial role in depicting your thoughts in the exam and try to read more articles to get a writer’s way of expressing.
- Practice more as it is the key to success. It will help to feel confident and comfortable during the time of the exams. Do not feel shy and seek professional assistance if you need to be on the safer side.
INSUFFICIENT BAND SCORE?
Some universities are still there that accept a comparatively low IELTS score and accept applications with low scores. If you get an insufficient band score, don’t panic, talk to the university to which you want to apply and put your query there. Ask if your score is less can they still accept your application or provide any alternate solution for your problem. There might be any other provision through which you could apply but still remember there is always a second chance, try again and work harder.
CONCLUSION:
The IELTS test may sound difficult or the scorings may sound tough to crack, but good preparation and a proactive method of planning can make your work a little easier. With proper coaching and guidance, scoring a good band gets easy. If you are aiming to get scholarships in the USA you will need a band score of 6.5 or above. With the help of EduLaunchers, you can make your dream come true and study at your favorite university. Seek better guidance and a helping hand to get into The States and enjoy your future success.