ENROLLMENT
INTRODUCTION
We truly appreciate your interest in our TOEFL Preparation
course, the only course currently taught at Terra Nova. In the
past, we offered several advanced English courses to our
students. In 2005, when a new TOEFL format called TOEFL iBT was
introduced, our school decided to focus on teaching only one
course, TOEFL Preparation.
Preparing students for taking the TOEFL since 1998, we have
earned the confidence of our students and our community over the
years. Here yesterday and today, we will be here tomorrow as
well. Prepare for the TOEFL iBT and study advanced English with
Terra Nova - a name you can trust!
We encourage you to compare us with English schools
in Chișinău offering TOEFL preparation courses. With
our small classes, comprehensive TOEFL iBT preparation program,
engaging and experienced TOEFL instructor, convenient location,
and reasonable tuition fees, you will find that choosing Terra
Nova adds up to a superb value!
We have two academic sessions, or semesters, in an academic year.
The duration of each semester is 3.5 months (15 weeks), which is
an optimal period of time for adequate TOEFL iBT preparation.
However, some of our students choose to take both semesters for
thorough TOEFL preparation since the teaching materials used in
the fall semester are different from those used in the spring
semester. While our course textbooks and other didactic materials
in the fall semester are based on Cambridge TOEFL iBT preparation
materials, the books and handouts used in the spring semester are
based on Barron's TOEFL iBT preparation materials.
In 2006, the duration of our TOEFL Preparation course was
increased from 3 months (13 weeks) to 3.5 months (15 weeks) in
order to reflect changes to the TOEFL format. While in 1998-2005
Terra Nova prepared students for the TOEFL PBT and CBT formats,
since 2006 our program has been based entirely on the TOEFL iBT
format.
In 2006, we increased the duration of the lesson/class by 15%.
Now it is either 2 hours (3 meetings per week) or 3 hours (2
meetings per week). There are 45 lessons/classes (for the TOEFL
groups meeting 3 times a week) and 30 lessons/classes (for the
TOEFL groups meeting twice a week) in each semester.
Terra Nova accepts applications on an ongoing basis. However,
the application process is highly competitive because there are a
limited number of enrollment spaces. Thus, all prospective students are strongly
advised to submit their applications and supporting materials well in advance of the
application deadline, which is usually 3 days before the start of the semester.
2023/2024 ACADEMIC YEAR
FALL SEMESTER: September 18, 2023 - December 31, 2023 (3.5 months / 15 weeks / 90 hours)
SPRING SEMESTER: March 4, 2024 - June 16, 2024 (3.5 months / 15 weeks / 90 hours)
In both semesters, we offer 8 sections (groups) (TOEFL 1
meeting from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on M.W.F.; TOEFL 2 meeting
from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on M.W.F.; TOEFL 3 meeting from 7:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on M.W.F.; TOEFL 4 meeting from 9:00 a.m. to
12:15 p.m. on Tu.Th.; TOEFL 5 meeting from 3:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
on Tu.Th.; TOEFL 6 meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Tu.Th.;
TOEFL 7 meeting from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Sat.Sun.; and
TOEFL 8 meeting from 12:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Sat.Sun.).
The fall semester starts on September 18, 2023 (for TOEFL 1,2, and 3),
September 19, 2023 (for TOEFL 4, 5, and 6), and September 23, 2023 (for TOEFL 7
and 8). It ends on December 28, 2023 (for TOEFL 4, 5, and 6),
December 29, 2023 (for TOEFL 1, 2, and 3), and December 31, 2023 (for TOEFL 7 and 8).
The spring semester starts on March 4, 2024 (for TOEFL 1, 2,
and 3), March 5, 2024 (for TOEFL 4, 5, and 6), and March 9,
2024 (for TOEFL 7 and 8). It ends on June 13, 2024 (for TOEFL
4, 5, and 6), June 14, 2024 (for TOEFL 1, 2, and 3), and June 16,
2024 (for TOEFL 7 and 8).
We do our best to provide fixed section times, and we make every
effort to keep all offered section times open, but since we
cannot predict how students will enroll in sections, we sometimes
have to open sections due to high enrollment or close class
section times due to low enrollment. To prepare yourself against
the latter possibility, we suggest that you keep in mind several
section times in case a section that you would like to enroll in
closes.
5 STEPS TO ENROLLMENT FOR NEW
STUDENTS
All new students, i.e., those who have never attended Terra Nova,
are expected to go through the following enrollment steps. Please
call us to obtain detailed information regarding matriculation
policies and provisions.
STEP ONE: APPLICATION
All new students, regardless of their educational backgrounds and
goals, must apply for admission. Please consider the fact that
the enrollment in our TOEFL Preparation course is very
competitive and you may wish to apply well in advance.
First, fill out the Application for Admission. As part of the application form, write a personal
statement of your general academic plans. Describe in 3,000 characters
or less your main academic and personal interests, why you wish
to prepare for the TOEFL with Terra Nova, and your plans for the
future after you receive your TOEFL scores. Please include
experiences in school or work that have helped to prepare you for
this course of study. This statement should be personal and
written by the applicant. In addition, write an essay on a topic of
your choice or on one of the options listed in the application
form. Please limit your response to 3,000 characters maximum. Feel
free to provide any additional information regarding special
circumstances, additional qualifications, etc., which you believe
may improve your admission chances. Please read the instructions
before filling out the
application for admission. There is no application fee for the
TOEFL Preparation course.
Complete applications must be submitted at least three days
before the beginning of classes. The school reserves the right to
close the application process before the deadline if need be.
All application documents will be retained for one year from the
semester for which you applied. Afterward, they will be discarded
if the applicant has not enrolled in the course or deferred the
application to a later semester.
STEP TWO: TESTING
After your application form has been received by Terra Nova, you will be invited for an
English proficiency evaluation test consisting of a short written
grammar and vocabulary exercise and an oral interview, which is
offered free of charge and obligation.
Enrollment in our TOEFL Preparation course is limited to students
who already have a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 65 or an equivalent
level of academic English (upper-intermediate to advanced). To
maintain the high academic standards of our educational
institution, it is essential that prior to enrollment all our
applicants pass the English proficiency evaluation test.
All qualified applicants can take the English proficiency
evaluation test on Saturdays or on any other day by appointment.
There is no testing when official public holidays are observed in
the Republic of Moldova or in the United States.
If the level of applicants is lower than that required for taking
the course, they are given recommendations on how to improve the
general level of their English or a particular language skill.
Please note that the English proficiency evaluation test and the
recommendations are free of charge. Use this unique opportunity
to evaluate your English and to learn about ways to improve
it.
STEP THREE: SELECTION
Our Admissions Committee is responsible for the selection of new
students and is guided in the selection process by the Admissions
Policy Statement. The committee consists of the TOEFL instructor
of Terra Nova and several educators/English teachers. In general,
our new students are selected on an FCFS (first-come,
first-served) basis, taking into account the level of their
proficiency in the English language (determined by the English
proficiency evaluation test) personal achievements and plans,
duties and responsibilities, as well as such important admission
criteria as academic and interpersonal skills, extracurricular
activities, and travel experiences, among others. This
information is gleaned from English proficiency evaluation test
results, applications for admission, personal statements, essays,
and interviews with the TOEFL instructor of Terra Nova. No single
factor, attribute, or characteristic is used to determine
selection. Some qualified applicants are not accepted each
academic year because of space limitations. Applicants who are
not accepted are encouraged to seek advice from Terra Nova's
TOEFL instructor on what they might do to improve their chances
of admission in subsequent semesters/years or to develop a
self-study TOEFL iBT preparation program that will best suit
their needs.
Terra Nova has a compelling interest in assuring a regional
representation of diversity among our student body to
comprehensively achieve our educational mission and effectively
meet our obligation to society. It is imperative that our school
work to enroll sufficient numbers of underrepresented students
who have the experience of being different from most others, and
that we assure a learning environment that enhances cultural
sensitivity and competence. A diverse student body promotes
tolerance and understanding, creates a richer learning
experience, and better prepares our students for future
challenges. Since Terra Nova is committed to fulfilling its
mission without discrimination on the basis of race, color,
national or ethnic origin, language, religion, age, sex, gender
identity, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation,
disability, or veteran status, we will attempt to recruit and
accept underrepresented qualified applicants from the Republic of
Moldova and abroad.
STEP FOUR: PLACEMENT
Once you have been accepted, you will be placed in one of the
sections (groups). Your placement will depend on your preference
stated in the application for admission, the availability of
seats, and several other criteria. To ensure your placement,
please select in your application form all the possible time
intervals when you are able to attend the TOEFL Preparation
course if accepted. This will give us more flexibility in your
placement. You may indicate the preferred section(s), if any.
Soon after your placement is finalized, an acceptance letter with
your enrollment information will be sent to you by electronic
mail. You must confirm your enrollment and agree with the
placement before your classes begin.
STEP FIVE: PAYMENT
Once you have enrolled in the class, you will need to pay your
tuition. In comparison with all other English schools in Moldova,
our students do not have to pay their tuition fees prior to or at
the time of their enrollment. We give our students 2 weeks to
decide if they want to take our TOEFL Preparation course or not.
However, the tuition must be paid in full at the end of the
2-week period. It is one of the policies of Terra Nova to keep
tuition at a reasonably affordable level.
The tuition fee for the TOEFL Preparation course is set at U.S.
$350, which makes our course the most affordable TOEFL Preparation
course in Chișinău when evaluated on a per-hour basis of instruction.
The fee is to be paid ENTIRELY DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS
OF THE SEMESTER. The fee INCLUDES the cost of provided handouts
and other supporting materials, the cost of TOEFL essay checking
(Terra Nova is the only place in Chișinău where
students' essays are regularly checked; students can submit for
checking as many essays as they want), the cost of out-of-class
counseling sessions with the instructor, and the cost of 2
textbooks. There is no application fee for the TOEFL Preparation
course. Our school offers several types of discounts. The
students who have previously studied at Terra Nova have a
discount of 10%. If more members of the same family study at the
school, everyone has a discount of 5%. Groups of more than 5
people are offered a discount of 5% for each member. Groups of
more than 10 people are offered a discount of 10% for each
member. The total discount sum for each person cannot exceed
15%.