Hi there, I hope you're doing well.

I'm a Masters student majoring in Structural Engineering. I'm going to apply for PhD programs, however, I've got into trouble! I would be grateful if you could help.

I've got a "94" in the TOEFL. Many universities in the USA want a total band score of "80" for PhD in Civil Engineering, while there's no minimum for individual components. Therefore, I think I'm qualified for applying to them. However, in Canada, almost all the universities require a total score of "86", with no section score less than "20"! Meanwhile, my score in reading is "17"! I'm really frustrated and don't know whether I should forget about applying to Canadian Universities or not. It should be noted that my resume is almost good as a M.Sc Student. I have several publications (ISI and Conference), and 2 years of professional work experience in an international company, as well as performing as a Teaching Assistant in my university. My score in TOEFL is this: R17, L26, S24, W27. I greatly appreciate any advice you could provide. Thanks a lot.

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