The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is the standard in the college admissions process, leading to the inclusion of preparation classes in Intensive English Program (IEP) curricula. But does preparing for the TOEFL in isolation yield optimal results for IEP college hopefuls? In this article, we will share information about the structure of the test as well as skills needed to perform successfully. In addition, we will offer teaching strategies and activities that we have found useful in increasing student buy-in, strengthening their test-taking abilities, and building their skills in order to increase their test scores. We believe that if we can better connect what we are teaching in our other intensive English classes to skills assessed on the TOEFL, it could lead to decreased resistance to particular activities.