Foreign Students

The Michigan Jewish Institute welcomes foreign students who wish to study at our campus. To be considered for admission the following items must be submitted:

1.    Completed application

Foreign students requesting an I-20, must also complete the Addendum to Application for Admission (i.e., nonimmigrant requesting acceptance into a MJI program). The MJI Application and the Addendum may be downloaded from the MJI website at www.MJI.edu. 

2.    A $50.00 application fee

3.    Official high school transcript/secondary school record

4.    Evidence of little or no need of financial assistance. (While the Admissions Committee may find a student qualified for admission, no acceptance letter or I-20 can be sent until the student has assured MJI, via the Addendum to Application for Admission, that s/he has the necessary funds to finance her/his education at the Institute. When the international applicant has been officially accepted, an acceptance letter and an I-20 will be sent.)

5. Additional Requirements:

Since all instruction is offered in English, students are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English Language.

English Language Proficiency

Students whose native language is not English, or who did not receive their secondary education in an English-speaking country, or who did not take and pass regular courses in English (e.g. Freshman Composition) at American or other English speaking College (e.g. USA, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa), or did not major in English at a Foreign University,or did not pass ESL courses at a recognized college,need to demonstrate their proficiency in the English Language. There are multiple options:

Option 1 TOEFL

Students can make arrangements to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) [the School Code for the Michigan Jewish Institute is  # 1505]. Inquiries about the test, which is administered routinely throughout the world, should be addressed to the Educational Testing Service, Box 899, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, USA. Information may also be obtained at the ETS website,

www.ets.org.

Option 2 MJI-MTELP

Prior to admission, foreign students who have not taken the TOEFL or one of the other options listed below will be evaluated by means of three assessment methods:

1.      The Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (information about this test may be found at,

www.michigan-proficiency-exams.com/mtelp.html)

2.      A Michigan Jewish Institute representative will ask the student to write a short essay.

3.      An interview conducted in English and supervised by a professor of ESL.

Option 3 MJI-Assessment

If a student has been resident for several years in the USA, or has taken extensive English studies in a foreign country, he/she may request an oral evaluation by an MJI professor of English who will determine whether the student can attend regular classes.

Other Options:

In May 2006, the U.S. Department of Education updated the list of approved English proficiency tests for students required to prove such proficiency. A brief listing follows. More information about these tests may be obtained from the sources indicated or via consultation with a MJI counselor.

1. ASSET Program: Basic Skills Tests (Reading, Writing, and Numerical)--Forms B2, C2, D2 and E2. Inquiries about the testshould be addressed to: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790. www.act.org

2. Career Programs Assessment (CPAT) Basic Skills Subtests (Language Usage, Reading and Numerical)--Forms B and C. Inquiries about the test should be addressed to: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790. www.act.org

3. COMPASS Subtests: Prealgebra/Numerical Skills Placement, Reading Placement, and Writing Placement. Inquiries about the test should be addressed to:ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790. www.act.org

4. Combined English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA), Forms 1 and 2. Inquiries about the test should be addressed to: Association of Classroom Teacher Testers (ACTT), 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 1 378, Montecito, California 93108-2794. Telephone: (805) 965-5704, Fax: (805) 965-5807. www.cappassoc.com/actt/actt.htm

Note: The CELSA test is approved only for certain students whose native language is not English and who are not fluent in English as provided in 34 CFR 668.153(a)(2).

5. Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs)/Accuplacer (Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills, and Arithmetic). Inquiries about the testshould be addressed to: The College Board, 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992. Telephone: (800) 486-8497. www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer/index.htm For a downloadable pdf based guide, www.ccc.commnet.edu/faculty/~testing/cptstud.pdf

6. Descriptive Tests: Descriptive Tests of Language Skills (DTLS) (Reading Comprehension, Sentence Structure and Conventions of Written English)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT; and Descriptive Tests of Mathematical Skills (DTMS) (Arithmetic)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT. Inquiries about the test should be addressed to: The College Board, 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992. Telephone: (800) 486-8497. www.collegeboard.com

7. ESL Placement Test (COMPASS/ESL). Inquiries about the test should be addressed to: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790. www.act.org

Note: The COMPASS/ESL test is approved only for certain students whose native language is not English and who are not fluent in English as provided in 34 CFR 668.153(a)(2).

8. Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST)--Verbal Forms VS-1 & VS-2, Quantitative Forms QS-1 & QS-2. Inquiries about the testshould be addressed to: Wonderlic Personnel Test, Inc., 1795 N. Butterfield Road, Libertyville, IL 60048. Telephone: (877) 605-9499, Fax: (847) 680-9492. www.wonderlic.com

9. WorkKeys Program--Reading for Information Forms A01AA, A02AA, C01AA & D10AA; Applied Mathematics Forms A01BB, A02BB, C01BB, & D01BB. Inquiries about the test should be addressed to: ACT, Inc., WorkKeys Development, Professional Development Services, 101 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Telephone: (319) 337-1296, Fax: (319) 337-1229. www.act.org

Results

Because tests such as the TOEFL have undergone tremendous changes in the past couple of years, (e.g., adding new testing modes such as Internet Based examinations and changes in scoring methods) it is not possible to publish passing scores here. Students who are required to prove English proficiency as indicated above are advised to seek out the most current information about the listed tests and their standardized passing scores. This information is available at the indicated testing websites. Students should also seek counseling from MJI regarding the most appropriate tests for them and required passing scores.

Based upon the results achieved on any of the above mentioned tests students will be:

1.      Allowed to enter their selected MJI academic program; or

2.      Required to take a reduced load of regular classes and be required to attend ESL classes; or 

3.      Be denied admission and directed to enroll at another institution in order to develop adequate English language skills (e.g., TOEFL score less than 250, MJI-MTELP score less than 25)