A common misconception about the criteria for the ETS scholarship is that English is the most significant component to determine the recipient. However, I personally believe that the most critical part of the scholarship application is how to demonstrate leadership and a spirit of dedication to community belonging as well as to articulate an ambition and clear vision for one’s future career. By doing so, I received a $3,000 TOEFL scholarship, which supplemented my tuition for graduate school at Duke University.

The TOEFL test was a gateway to enter the graduate school, and made me competitive to receive a scholarship from Duke University. What I practiced in the TOEFL test prepared me to address various situations on campus such as conversations with my academic advisor and teaching assistants. The TOEFL practice exams help me to articulate my concerns and interests in an accurate and fluent way. Particularly, the writing section significantly helped me to write a policy memo in a concise and clear manner. Furthermore, since fluent written and spoken English skills are the prerequisite to find a summer internship and job in the future, practicing English with the TOEFL test is definitely beneficial.

A technical tip for taking the test is a simple answer. Practice is the best strategy. TOEFL reading requires an ability to skim a passage and grasp main ideas quickly. I practiced finding a topic sentence and key words with a journal article that interests me. A journal article is generally long and contains jargon and detailed examples and numbers, which can be skipped while I am still able to understand the main idea. The continuous practice with journal articles made me accustomed to the actual TOEFL reading test. My strategy for improving spoken English was also “learning by doing.”

English is a tool of communication. The more you speak, the better your English becomes. I kept this in mind. Thus, I participated in various extracurricular activities such as international youth forums and an Asian youth camp sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Korea.

My inquisitiveness about climate change and green growth led me to attend as many international conferences as possible not only to improve my listening skills, but also because I hoped to study more about those issues. These activities motivated me to study English harder and ultimately led me to receive the TOEFL scholarship.

I am currently studying environmental management at Duke University, focusing on energy and environment. I am interested in establishing a market-driven framework to address climate change and the anticipated energy crisis. I am also studying corporate sustainability. In course work, I am involved in a project about exploring alternative energy sources that are in compliance with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard of North Carolina. Upon graduation, I wish to build a career as an expert in the field of energy and sustainability. Ultimately, I aspire to become a policymaker working in a capacity that allows me to suggest initiatives and help move society toward a sustainable future.

By Son Myeong-yeon

The writer is currently studying environmental management at Duke University in the U.S. She won the TOEFL Scholarship Program in 2012. ― Ed.