If you have just started preparing to Study In USA there will be many questions in your mind. The first thing you should consider when applying to a university or College is the intake that the country has to offer. How many intakes are there in USA? What are the types of intakes in USA? What is the primary intake of all the USA intakes? To answer all these questions, here are the types for USA masters intake:
Intakes in USA
There are 3 USA intake offered in the colleges and universities. The three intakes available in the US are:
| Intakes | Deadlines |
| Fall intake | From September to December |
| Spring intake | From January to May |
| Summer intake | usually starts around May |
It can get a bit confusing to choose the intake that suits you better. Consider factors like the availability of your required program, your academic records, English language proficiency scores, entrance exam scores, the institution’s acceptance rates, job opportunities and your readiness to join the program whilst making a decision. If you are not able to get ready until your preferred intake then it’s better to skip the haste and apply for the next intake in the USA.
Fall Intake in the USA
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Duration: September, October, November, and December |
As in most countries fall intake is the primary intake in USA. All the Universities offer a wide variety of courses during this intake. Moreover, more funding is provided for the Fall Intake in USA. Many Universities and colleges only have fall intake for the admission process.
Most of the students opt for this intake for the above-mentioned reasons. If you are planning for admission in the fall semester, start your college and University shortlisting and research in April. Appear for IELTS / TOEFL or other required exams around June. After that, you should start documentation such as SOP, LOR, Application Essays, and most importantly, the visa process. It is the most chosen intake in the USA.
Spring Intake in the USA:
|
Duration: January, February, March, April, May |
Spring Intake is more of a second intake for the USA. The spring intake has a duration of January to May. Students who have missed the fall intake can apply for this one. However, spring intake does not have as many courses on offer as fall intakes from the Universities.
If you are planning to apply for the Spring Intake in USA, then you should be done with your shortlisting of universities and all the necessary research by August. Give required English Language and other competitive eligibility exams by September / October. After that, focus on your application process and visa requirements for departure.
6 Steps to Study in USA for September Intake
If you have plans to go to study in USA for either undergraduate or postgraduate studies, the first thing you require is an action plan. Here is an application timeline to give you an idea about what to do and in which month to do it!!!
Step 1: Start Now!
- Begin early and by August, shortlist 8-12 universities that you will apply to. Visit university websites and note application requirements, due dates etc.
- By September, be familiar with bank loan options and scholarships to support your studies.
- Start by downloading admissions brochures from the university websites. Most brochures are out over a year sooner.
- Do some initial research on different accommodation options
Step 2: Appear for the Exams: Crack the exams: January 2023 to February 2023
- Prepare for required standardized tests like GRE, TOEFL, GMAT or IELTS – relying upon the course and university.
- By June-July or three months before the test date, enrol for GMAT/ GRE.
- Register for TOEFL/IELTS no less than a month prior to the test date.
- Take the required tests around September and do plan for buffer time in case you need to retake the test.
Step 3: Start Applying to Colleges: Its application time:
- Shortlist the universities and prepare for your application. Think hard about what makes you unique as an applicant and sketch out your strengths and self-appraisal.
- Contact your professors and direct managers for the required 2-3 reference letters. At least a month before your application due date.
- Start drafting your SOP and essays. Give a month’s time to structure these documents appropriately.
- Apply before the due date!
Step 4: Acceptance Letters and Interviews:
- Don’t delay replying to college e-mails. Also, there will be quite a few!
- Appear for personal/video interviews. These are planned for around January to March.
- Once you get acceptance letters, make your decision as quickly as possible.
- Depending on the deadline, inform the universities of your decision.
- You will need to pay a non-refundable deposit to affirm your admission.
Step 5: Apply for Visa/Education Loan: Visa and money matters
- Search for and begin applying for external scholarships (if relevant).
- Apply for a student loan, after you get your acceptance letter.
- Assemble the paperwork for your USA student visa. Check visa prerequisites.
- Apply for a student visa USA in time. Remember the time taken for visa processing!
Step 6: Tickets and Departure Get ready to fly:
- Book airline tickets.
- Organize an International Debit/Credit card.
- Gather all the documents and their photocopies, to take along.
- Check out the Pre-departure checklist!
Here is List of Universities in USA for September intake
| Universities in USA (September Intake) | |
| Harvard University | University of Minnesota |
| Stanford University | Brown University |
| MIT | Colorado School of Mines |
| CalTech | Texas A&M |
| UC Berekeley | North Carolina State University (Raleigh) |
| Georgia Tech | UC Santa Barbara |
| UT Austin | Ohio State University |
| Carnegie Mellon | Virginia Tech |
| Wisconsin-Madison | University of Colorado Boulder |
| Cornell University | Penn State |
| Yale University | Boston University |
| Illinois Urbana Champaign | UC Irvine |
| Duke University | Northeastern University |
| University of Chicago | Vanderbilt University |
| University of Pennsylvania | University of Virginia |
| University of Michigan | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Northwestern University | University of Delaware |
| Purdue University | University of Pittsburgh |
| Columbia University | Case Western Reserve University |
| Arizona State University | University of Notre Dame |
| Johns Hopkins University | Dartmouth College |
| Rice University | Rutgers State University of New Jersey |
| New York University (NYU) | University of Tennessee Knoxville |
| University of Southern California (USC) | UT Dallas |
| UC Los Angeles (UCLA) | Michigan State |
| UC San Diego | Iowa State University |
| UC Davis | University of Rochester |
| University of Maryland, College Park | University of North Carolina – Charlotte |
| Princeton University | University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill |
| University of Florida | University of Utah |
Above mentioned are some of the September intake universities in USA. It is the most popular USA university intake among International students.
6 Steps to Study in USA
If you are willing to study in USA and have missed the September intake, you do not have to wait for a whole year. You can apply to Universities in USA for January intake. Here are 6 steps to study in USA for January intake.
Step 1: Start Now! April to May
- Start preparing by April. Shortlist the US Universities that are January intake Universities, and have courses you want to apply for. You can find admission requirements, the application process, and deadlines on the University websites.
- You should also look forward to scholarships and education loans you want to apply to, or are eligible for. Another important factor to be considered is your accommodation in USA. Decide whether you will be staying on or off-campus, and arrange accordingly.
Step 2: Appear for the Exams: June to November On the University website, look for the required entrance or the English language tests you are supposed to take. Based on courses, it might be GMAT, GRE, TOEFL or IELTS.
- The registration period for the tests also varies. You will have to book for GMAT and GRE a lot sooner than the window you will have to register for IELTS and TOEFL.
- Have a buffer time, in case you need to retake the case following an undesirable result.
Step 3: Start Applying to Colleges: August to September
- This is where the application starts. Narrow down your options and start preparing your documents. Universities in USA normally ask for an application essay or SOP. Decide what makes you a unique applicant and write a well-crafted statement of purpose. The aim is to tell the University why you are fit for the program, and how the university can help you go ahead.
- For Letters of recommendation, contact your professors and immediate supervisors. Both the documents and essays should be given a month’s time to be prepared.
- Once everything looks in place, submit the final application before the due date.
Step 4: Acceptance Letters and Interviews: October to November
- Once you get a reply from the college or university you have applied to, revert them as soon as you can. If needed, the college will ask you for a video or personal interview.
- Once you get the acceptance letter, make a decision and inform the college about that. This process will also have a deadline, too. So make sure you are keeping track of the time.
- You will be asked to pay a non-refundable deposit to confirm the admission.
Step 5: Apply for Visa / Education Loan: November to December
- Now would be the time to apply for the all-important study permit for USA. USA student visa will have some requirements needed to be fulfilled by you.
- Apply for the student loan to show the monetary proof to visa officials. All the paperwork should be done during this time, both for the visa and student loan.
- USA visa will take some time to process your application. You should plan ahead keeping that in mind.
Step 6: Tickets and Departure: December to January
- You are just one step away from arriving in the USA! Book the flight for the same.
- You will need an international debit or credit card before you depart, so make sure you have arranged one.
- Before flying, gather all the necessary documents and photocopies. Make a pre-departure list and follow it so there is no last-minute hassle.
List of Universities in the USA offering Spring Admissions:
| Universities in USA (Spring Intake) | |
| Florida International University | University of Alabama, Huntsville |
| University of Wisconsin – Madison | George Mason University |
| Oklahoma State University | University of Florida |
| Texas A&M, College Station | University of Texas, Dallas |
| University of Houston | Rice University |
| Wichita State University | Vanderbilt University |
| Arizona State University | Iowa State University |
| Howard University | Northeastern University |
| Kent State University | Case Western Reserve University |
| Michigan Technological University | University of Louisiana – Lafayette |
| Virginia Tech | New Jersey Institute of Technology |
| University of Arizona | Purdue University |
| University of Tennesse Knoxville | Brown University |
| Texas A&M, College Station | Cornell University |
| University of New Mexico | University of Southern California |
| Western Michigan University | Carnegie Mellon University |
| University of Nevada, Reno | Virginia Tech |
| University of South Carolina | Texas Tech University |
| University of Kansas | University of Central Florida |
Summer Intake in USA:
Though some of the universities as a whole accept applicants for the Summer Semester in USA, only some of the departments for those universities in USA are open for courses in the summer intake. The Summer Intake starts in June for US Universities and lasts for only two to three months. The programs offer are mostly language programs for non-English speaking students or some of the specialized cultural programs.