Vilchis, wanting information about how to improve his TOEFL score, contacted me on Feb 23 of this year. Here is what he said:
I want some information about your S.T.E.A.L.T.H. 7-step guide. I appeared for the first time in the test on 11th Feb and scored 108 (R30, L29, S20, W29). I am a 29-year old MBA applicant from Bangalore, India, and this score is sub-par compared to the average scores of my peers at top US business schools that I am targeting. My main weakness has come out to be speaking section and hence I want to practice comprehensively for next 2 months. I am planning to retake the test in late April or early May.
My target score is 115+ with at least 26 in Speaking (and other sections).
Please inform me details about how this course can help me achieve the target. I would also like to know the average no. of hours to put in per day and whether the course can be tailor-made to suit my requirements e.g. special focus on speaking, etc.
I thought to myself, “This guy has got to be crazy. He wants to score higher than 115?” But then again, he has a plan, he seems motivated, and he seems willing to work hard to achieve his goal. Maybe he has what it takes to realize his dream. The following video will include what I said to him:
Once he subscribed to my 7-Step System to Pass the TOEFL iBT, he went to the ETS TOEFL web site and booked his next date to battle the TOEFL: May 12, 2012. He now had a few weeks to get ready to prepare himself for the speaking section in which he wanted to improve his score by six points. He joined my Voxopop Group so that he could record his pronunciation and speaking practice tests, and he did not waste any time getting started. Day after day he started posting independent and integrated speaking practice tests, each time getting a score along with recommended lessons to help him improve. He reviewed the lessons, and then took additional practice tests. Little by little he began to speak more clearly, more fluently, with better control of his vocabulary and grammar usage. His hardest challenge was to learn how to coherently organize his ideas. But he overcame this weakness and was now ready to retake the TOEFL. After retaking the TOEFL, he impatiently waited for the results, but they came in few weeks. The following is an e-mail he sent to me:
I retook the TOEFL iBT on 12th May and got the desired score – 116 (R30, L30, S26, W30). I thank you for all the speaking practice tests and comments that helped me boost my speaking score. I have canceled my subscription today.
When I received his e-mail, my jaw almost dropped to the floor. Even though he already had a high score of 108, he had increased his score by 8 more points, which was no small undertaking to be sure. Most importantly, he had solved his pronunciation, organization, and development problems, which would help him to communicate more effectively in personal, professional, and business situations. Here is what I said to him:
No doubt I was proud to have been his TOEFL mentor, and I am so glad that he decided to take my course. He is one of the most motivated and hardest working students I have ever had. Vilchis, if you are reading my words right now, I say to you, “You inspire others to be great.”