Admission Intakes In US Universities 2024-2025

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Study Abroad Expert

Updated on Nov 30, 2024 17:47 IST

An academic year at American universities usually has two intakes, namely Fall and Spring. Unlike India, US universities follow a bi-semester system where an academic year is divided into two semesters. Thus, students applying to study in the US have to choose between any one of the intakes in the USA. Apart from the Spring and Fall intakes in the USA, there is another intake month in the USA i.e. Summer. Most of the courses begin in the Fall semester.

When planning to study in USA, the biggest question is which is the best intake in USA? While Fall is most preferred, there are some exceptions and a few courses accept applications for the Spring semester as well. But most of the time, the semester available is not a choice as most of the popular and important courses commence only with the Fall semester. The Fall intake in the USA is popular because the scholarships and financial aid are aimed at this semester. In case students miss out on Fall intake deadlines, they have the option to apply for the Spring intake in the USA. Check ou the article to understand about the two major intakes at US universities and which one is better?

Duration of Intakes in the USA

The following table throws light on the intakes of USA and the duration, along with the application timelines and when the applications open:

USA Intakes	Timeline of the Application	Applications open
Spring intake in USA	Between January to May	Between July - December
Summer intake in USA	Starts from May	Between January - March
Fall intake in USA	Between September to December	Between November - May

More details on each of the intakes in the USA are as follows for international students' reference:

Fall semester: The fall intake in the USA is the most opted one by Indian students. The fall months in the USA are from September to December.
Spring semester: The spring semester starts in January and ends in May. The spring intake in the USA begins in October or November.
Summer semester: This intake is for limited programs and courses and usually starts in May.

Thus, there are two major intakes in the USA namely - Spring and Fall, while there is also a Summer intake for those looking at short-term courses instead of long-term ones.

Top US Universities Offering Admission in Spring & Fall Intakes

Check out the top 10 US universities offering admission to international students in Fall and Spring intake:

Top US Universities Offering Admission in Fall Intake	Top US Universities Offering Admission in Spring Intake
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Cornell University
Stanford University	Rice University
Yale University	Case Western Reserve University
University of Pennsylvania	New Jersey Institute of Technology
Princeton University	Brown University
Columbia University	Purdue University
CalTech	Iowa State University
George Mason University	Northeastern University
University of South Florida	University of Texas
University of Kansas	University of Arizona

Please note, that not all courses may be available for a particular intake, thus, applicants should be aware of the intake of the course and then apply for admissions accordingly.

Which Intake Season to Choose: Fall or Spring?

Confused about when to begin applying for admission to US universities? Check out the following details on which intake season to choose - spring or fall?

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If you are aiming at the Fall semester, you should start your research in April. Then around June, you should be over with the exams required for admission. For the rest of the months, you can devote time to writing essays, SOP, LOR, CV, etc.
However, if you are planning to apply for the Spring intake in USA, then research should be done around April, and the exam should be dealt with by June-July.
The fall season is the popular choice for study abroad aspirants as the choice of universities is wide as most all the universities open their admission in the Fall intake of USA.
Another reason for Fall being popular is that students who go in spring intake do not get the chance to undertake an internship in the immediate summer break i.e. in May as they need to complete at least 9 months in full-time academics. Students going in the spring season join the programme in January, whereas, the students going in Fall join in September, so, they are eligible to undergo an internship programme.

Check out: High Acceptance Rates Universities in the USA

Difference Between Fall Intake & Spring Intake in the USA

Given below are some of the factors that students must consider before choosing the intake in the universities of USA.

Factors	Fall Intake in USA	Spring Intake in USA
Scholarships	During the fall intake in the USA, students can get scholarship opportunities. This semester also has an upper hand when it comes to networking with other students	In this intake, there are fewer scholarship opportunities available for students. This is because most of the funding is availed at the start of an academic year
Courses Options	Universities offer a wide range of course options in the fall intake	Comparatively, a limited number of courses are available in the Spring intake
Internship Opportunities	Students during the fall intake can apply for internships. This is because, during the fall intake, students meet the 9 months of full-time academic criteria before applying	Students in the Spring semester in the US somehow face the eligibility problem of meeting the 9-month eligibility criteria before working as an intern
Post-study work opportunities	Many job options are available for students who are enrolled in the fall semester as the placement drive generally starts during this time	Few job options are available during the Spring semester because most of the positions have been filled by students from the fall semester
Accommodation	Accommodations can be a hard task to find for applicants admitted in this intake.	Accommodations can be slightly easier to find because of a lower competition and admit rate.
Class Size	Usually bigger	Usually smaller

Have more questions related to when to apply, comment below your queries, in case you want a detailed discussion, sign up for free counselling at - https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/apply and our team of counsellors will get in touch with you.

Two main intake seasons of US Universities FAQs

Q. How many intakes are there in USA?

A. Typically, there are two intakes in the US; Fall and Spring. However, there is one more intake season, the Summer semester. In total there are three intake sessions in the USA. Aspirants who are international prefer to get admission in the Fall intake. However, some applicants can choose to apply in the spring intake in case they are unable to apply for the fall intake of USA and vice versa.

Q. Which intake is best for the universities in the US?

A. If we look at this, then ideally you should begin the applications 9-12 months before the intake. The universities in the U.S. usually take 8-10 weeks for processing the applications. The fall intake is generally the preferred intake for international students. Admissions are open for spring intake as well but some courses may not be available for spring intake of USA as they are available in the fall intake session only. Thus, applicants must check their courses for application and apply accordingly in USA.

Q. What are the months for fall and spring intake in the USA?

A. The fall intake in the USA starts around September and ends in December. The spring intake in the US starts in January and continues till May. By August the admission decisions are to be accepted and students have to decide on accepting or rejecting or ever deferring their offers. By the end of August or starting of September, applicants can attend the orientation at their respective US universities and begin attending classes thereafter.

Q. Is fall intake better than Spring intake in the U.S.?

A. During the fall intake, the class sizes are larger. This means that you have a better chance of getting admitted. During the spring semester, if your profile is above spectacular, then there can be a chance of admission during the Spring intake in USA. During the fall intake of the universities in the U.S, students will have more scholarship opportunities, course options, part-time work opportunities, internship opportunities, and post-study work opportunities.

Q. Is the summer semester considered good in USA?

A. The summer semester is not the first choice of students because fall and spring semesters have more universities under the umbrella. However, the summer semester can be good if your preferred choices are available. A lot of short courses are a part of the summer intake in USA. International students who are in high school or in college willing to pursue a short course can apply for one during the summer intake of USA. Since these are short courses, their duration is not very long and hence they finish in shorter duration like a couple of days or weeks.

Q. What is January intake known in USA?

A. The Spring intake is known as January intake in the U.S. This intake starts from July and ends in November or December. All those students who have missed the fall intake in USA can take admission in this intake. Please note, some courses offered in fall intake may not be available for spring intake of USA, hence, aspirants are required to be cautious while applying for certain courses at specific US universities.

Q. Can I study in USA for the Summer intakes?

A. The Summer intakes in USA are not open for admissions to courses offered across universities in USA. However, there are short courses that are available for international students, which can be taken up like:

Certificate courses
Diploma courses
Pathway programs

Q: What GPA is required for the University of South Dakota?

The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.

Q: What GPA is needed to go to Ohio State?

There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.

Q: Is Texas A&M Commerce a good university?

Texas A&M Commerce is regarded as one of the top public universities across the United States. Moreover, the Texas A&M Commerce ranking 2024 under the category of Best Colleges is National Universities is #369. Also, the acceptance rate of this university is 42%. Additionally, the university offers the best academic programs, expert faculty, job & placement, and more. Besides, Texas A&M University-Commerce also offers over 130 academic degrees for its students.

Q: Is MIT costly for Indians?

MIT is not costly for Indian students. Applicants can study BTech program at affordable tuition fees as compared to other BTech colleges in the USA. The MIT BTech fees is around INR 50 L to INR 52 L.

Q: How long does it take to get admission to Iowa State?

After submitting the application the Iowa State admission committee will review the application for admission on the basis of documents that applicants provide. A decision may require several weeks as it depends on the time of year the applicant submits the application (Applications submitted right before the deadline require a much longer processing time due to the volume of applications received then.). Applicants will receive an admission offer letter and the I-20 Form if admitted.

Q: Is the University of South Dakota hard to get into?

With a 99% acceptance rate, the University of South Dakota is easy to get into. The university follows an easy approach during admission. The university takes a simple admissions procedure. The high acceptance percentage does not mean that the university admits every applicant; rather, it suggests permissive admittance as compared to another university.

Students must prove themselves by scoring excellent academic scores, English proficiency requirements, and standardized test scores. Also, the university prioritizes factors, such as rigor of secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA, standardized test scores, application essays, recommendations, and more.

Q: What GPA do you need to get into Iowa State?

International students who wish to study at Iowa State must have at least GPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 for UG and PG admission. International transfer applicants must have a minimum equivalent GPA of C+ on a scale of A to F or 2.25 on a 4.0 scale for all transferable courses.

Q: Is it hard to get into the UTSA in San Antonio Texas?

According to various sources, University of Texas San Antonio has an overall acceptance rate of around 87% which makes it somewhat selective for international student admissions. Some of the general requirements to be considered for admission are given as follows:

SAT/ACT scores
Overall Student's GPA
Letters of Recommendation
High School Class Rank
Additional Academic Records

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Study Abroad Expert

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MS in USA

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