Top Study Abroad Intakes: Types and Countries

Study Abroad Intakes

Major study abroad intakes include Fall Intake 2024 (popularly known as the September Intake) and Spring Intake (popularly known as the January Intake). In addition, certain Universities also provide courses for Summer Intake. Students are usually confused about these intakes and when to start preparing for them. It is usually advised that the student start their study abroad application process at least 9-12 months before the intake they are aiming for. The reasons for such an early preparation include:

• Sufficient time to retake tests (if required).
• Sufficient time to arrange for finances.
• Sufficient time to plan for backup plans.
• Sufficient time to arrange documents.

The table given below provides information about the mentioned study abroad intakes. With the help of the table, you will also get an idea about the comparison between fall and spring intake.

Study Abroad Intake	Course Commencement Month	Details
Fall Intake	September to December	Fall Intake is available at every University Almost all the courses are available in Fall Intake Maximum applicants apply in Fall Intake Competition is stiff in Fall Intake A large number of scholarships are available
Spring Intake USA or Winter Intake Canada and UK	January to April/May	Spring Intake is available in a large number of Universities Many courses are up for grabs in the Spring Intake Some countries, such as Finland, consider the Spring Intake as an extension of the Fall Intake January Intake is also called as Winter Intake in Canada and the  UK Competition is relatively easy You get more time to prepare for exams such as GMAT, GRE, IELTS, TOEFL, etc.
Summer Intake	May to August	Summer Intake is available in a handful of Universities The choice of courses is less. Fewer students apply in the Summer Intake, hence, competition is less

Read More: Studying Abroad vs Studying Locally

Fall Intake

Now that we have understood the overview of the Fall Intake, it is time to understand it in more detail. The points given below will help you understand the finer details of the Fall Intake:

• Fall Intake months are usually from September to December. Some Universities might also start their Fall Intake courses in the month of August.
• Fall Intake is the primary intake for almost all Universities across all countries.
• Almost all the courses are available in the Fall Intake.
• A large number of scholarships and internship opportunities are available for the students taking admission in the Fall Intake.
• There is a large number of applicants for this intake; hence, the acceptance rate is on the lower
• Students must start preparing at least 10-12 months before the beginning of the Fall Intake. The reason is that Indian students usually complete their undergraduate courses in the month of April/May/June. Thus, they have very less time to prepare for the Fall Intake. It is advised that if a student has decided to study abroad, he/she must begin the preparations well before the intended intake.
• Fall Intake deadline is towards the end of December (early January in certain cases).
• Major destinations for students, who wish to apply for Fall Intake, are the US, Canada, and the UK. The table given below provides details of all three countries with respect to the Fall Intake. Moreover, various Universities with Fall Intake have also been provided.

Country	Details of Fall Intake	Universities with Fall Intake
Fall Intake in USA	You must begin your preparations by April of the previous year. If you are applying for USA Fall Intake 2024, then you must begin your preparations by April 2023 USA Fall Intake deadlines are usually in December USA Universities take around 8-10 weeks to process your application. Some might take 12 weeks also	Harvard University Stanford University Yale University MIT Princeton University Others
Fall Intake in Canada	Begin at least 12 months before your intended intake. If you are applying for Canada Fall Intake 2024, then you must begin your research by July/August 2023 Canada Fall Intake deadlines are usually in December or early January	University of Toronto McGill University University of British Columbia University of Montreal University of Alberta Others
September Intake in UK	For September Intake in UK, you can begin your preparations in July/August of the previous year. If you are applying for September Intake in UK 2024, you can begin your preparation by July/August 2023 In case if you are applying for an undergraduate course, make sure that you check the UCAS deadlines	University of Oxford University of Cambridge University of Manchester Imperial College London University College London Others

Spring Intake

The following points will give you more details about the Spring Intake:

• Spring Intake Months are from January to May. In some places, if a course begins in the month of January, it is often called Winter Intake (Canada and the UK).
• It is usually considered a secondary intake and as an extension of the Fall Intake.
• The choice of courses is usually less. Moreover, certain Universities might not provide Spring Intake for popular courses.
• However, the major advantage of applying in Spring Intake is that students have more time to prepare for exams (such as GMAT, GRE, etc.) and their applications.
• Another advantage of Spring Intake is that the acceptance rate is higher due to less number of applications. Moreover, the class size will be smaller in the case of Spring Intake.
• If you are applying for January 2024 Spring Intake, January/February 2023 would be the ideal time to start your preparations.
• The following table provides the details of Spring Intake in the US, Canada, and the UK. Universities with Spring Intake have also been provided in the table.

Country	Spring Intake Months	Universities with Spring Intake
Spring Intake in USA	January to April	University of Cincinnati California State University, Long Beach Rowan University Washington State University Rochester Institute of Technology Others
Winter Intake in Canada	January to May	University of Saskatchewan Dalhousie University McMaster University Centennial College Humber College Others
January Intake in UK	January to April	University of Brighton City University of London University of Greenwich Birmingham City University University of Lincoln Others

Summer Intake

Summer Intake is offered by a limited number of Universities for a limited number of courses. These courses are usually diplomas, language courses, etc. In the case of Canada and the UK, it is also called Spring Intake. The following points provide more details about the Summer Intake:

• Summer Intake months are usually May to August.
• There are a limited number of courses and Universities.
• The acceptance rate is high for Summer Intake.
• The following table provides details of Summer Intake for study abroad aspirants. The table also mentions Universities with Summer Intake.

Country	Summer Intake Months	Universities with Summer Intake
Summer Intake in USA	May to August	The University of Arizona Indiana University University of South Florida Purdue University Florida Atlantic University Others
Summer Intake in Canada or Spring Intake in Canada	May to August	The University of British Columbia Ryerson University University of Waterloo University of Manitoba Trent University Others
Summer Intake in UK or Spring Intake in UK	May to August	University of Bedfordshire Ulster University Northumbria University University of Hertfordshire Coventry University Others

Now that you are aware of the various study abroad intakes, make sure to choose your intake wisely as there are multiple factors that come into play, the most important of them being 'time'. Students are advised not to waste their time by postponing their study abroad applications as they might miss the chance of getting selected for their dream college/university.

Candidates looking to study abroad can get in touch with our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors for assistance with university applications. Candidates can also write to us in the comments section below.