One of the most common questions we get each year is about language proficiency and eligibility for Lauder’s five regional Programs of Concentration (Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, and South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa) and the Global program. As we look towards the admissions for this year, we wanted to elaborate on what exactly it takes to be a good fit, linguistically, for Lauder.
All applicants to Lauder are required to complete at least one Oral Proficiency Interview, known as the OPI, as part of their application. The OPI measures speaking ability and is scored according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, which include five major levels of proficiency (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, and Distinguished). The major levels of Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice are divided into High, Mid, and Low sub-levels.
An Advanced rating (at any sub-level) is the expected level for admission to Lauder’s regional Programs of Concentration*. That means you must score at least at the Advanced Low in the target language you wish to study at Lauder, e.g. Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean for our East & SE Asia program, etc. (For more information on languages and testing, read through the OPI information on our website.) *Note exceptions for Portuguese and Italian.
For applicants to Lauder’s Global program, one OPI at the superior level in any language other than English is required of all applicants; applicants are welcome to submit more than one OPI to show proficiency in other languages. The same is true for the Africa-General program (taught in English.)
What can you expect during the OPI? The test itself is an approximately thirty-minute phone conversation in your target language with a language tester who will rate your speaking abilities. It is conducted by certified testers from Language Testing International (LTI). You will receive your OPI rating within a few days of the test – score results are not immediately available. There is no written component. OPIs are only administered by phone so be sure to follow the instructions you receive from LTI for the call.
To schedule an OPI, complete and submit LTI’s online application, and be sure to register as a Lauder applicant. Lauder applicants are not required to have proctors for their admit OPI. If you have any questions about the OPI or about scheduling your OPI please contact LTI by telephone at +1 914-963-7110 or by email at testing@languagetesting.com.
How to submit your score: our admissions team has access online to your score rating. There is no need to mail in an official result or certificate of your OPI rating. However, if you have your OPI score by the time you submit your MBA/MA application, please be sure to include the score in your application.
Additional Resources: We recommend you read through the detailed language requirements on our website and listen to our sample audio clips available for some languages. In addition, applicants are always welcome to sit-in on a Lauder language class in Philadelphia.
Finally, check out the great tips from former students about preparing for the OPI!
Don’t focus too much on using everything you know, i.e. verb conjugations, but rather on the flow and complexity of the conversation (ideas/content). – Spanish Track Student
If you mention a job or hobby, know the technical terms so you don’t get stuck. – Portuguese Track Student
Listen or watch the news in your testing language for a couple of weeks before your OPI. This will help you learn the vocabulary to discuss current issues. – Hindi Track Student
Don’t get stressed out, it’s a conversation and speak to your comfort level. – Japanese Track Student
Answer the question. It is easy to get tripped up by even a simple question, and you are being evaluated on language skills not the content. For example, I was asked what was my favorite country I have traveled to, and I think I spent too much time thinking of what is actually my favorite instead of choosing one I like and supporting my answer. – Russian Track Student
If it’s for a language you haven’t spoken for a while and at which you might feel rusty, read or watch material in that language starting at least a week before. That helped me bring back my fluidity. And remember not to us foreign words even if it’s a common practice in everyday usage. – Global Student (remember, this applicant was aiming for a Superior because he was applying to Global)
Have an idea of what you want to talk about: the format of the OPI is largely determined by what you say, so you can help steer the conversation your way. – French Track Student
Do not hesitate to reach out to our office at any time with questions:
Click here to contact Admissions or email lauderinfo@wharton.upenn.edu.
Good luck!
