TOEFL Adequate command of spoken and written English is essential to success in graduate study at Harvard. Applicants who are non-native English speakers and who received their undergraduate degree from an academic institution where English is not the primary language of instruction must take the Internet based test (iBT) of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). A minimum score of 80 is required, but some programs may require a higher score. No test other than the iBT TOEFL will be accepted as proof of English proficiency; a master's degree is not accepted as proof of English proficiency. IELTS GSAS does not accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). GRE High scores (170) in the verbal portion of the test are positive additions to the application but are by no means the most important aspect of your candidacy. (The quantitative and analytical scores carry less weight than the verbal scores.) You should make timely plans to take these examinations in order to ensure arrival of scores by the December early application deadline. Scores received after January may arrive too late to be considered.