Application Deadlines for US Universities – Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter

Work is much more accomplished when a timeline is set. I can actually agree to this statement especially after I started to work amongst engineers. Under pressure, they tend to work well, actually, they work, period. Keeping this in mind I believe, the applications have all been set off on a timer in order to get the ball rolling soon and that all processes can be streamlined.

Application for a course, as you might now be aware, does not only entail the filling of the application forms online. It includes preparation of your educational paperwork- transcripts and mark sheets, your personal statements or statements of purpose, pestering past academicians and senior colleagues for recommendation letters, proper format of a Resume, Extracurricular certificates, all those extra certificates and what naughts!!! Don’t even get me started on the financial bits and bobs… Phew. Exhausting few months of your life to add up to a good future for yourself. Trust yourself to keep extra time in hand. Notice I haven’t even added up the time for your preps for entrance exams. Then check and recheck your online applications you slowly hit the ‘Submit’ button on the application. Send your hard copies of the document sets to the department at the university.

Most universities in the USA get applications from about 9 months in advance. So have enough time in your hands for all the procedures. Take a quick look at your potential deadlines:

Note that these are approximations at the deadlines. Deadlines vary from university to university. Some universities also have rolling admissions, wherein, there are multiple deadlines, and students can apply before any of those in order to gain admission. This may help in judging the number of applications for a particular class and will help the university to only give admissions to as much as the capacity of the class. Most universities also associate opportunities for scholarships for the course in question.

Whatever maybe the worry, but the stakes are high, it is important that all the applications are submitted and the documents sent for final approval to the university well within the time frame as displayed in the form of deadlines. Get a plan in place with set timelines for individual parts of your application steps. In the few famous words, “Help will always be given to those who ask for it.” At every step there will be guidance and assistance. Time everything, plan it out and stick within the deadlines you have given yourself and you will meet all your university deadlines with ease rather than having to compensate on those that may be left. Grapes are better sweet than sour…

Author: Anagha Bailur
Counselor at ISSC