Detailed Timeline for Fall 2023 Intake 🗓
Are you planning to apply for masters for Fall 23 intake but confused about the timeline? 🤔
Keep reading to get an overview of the timeline so that you can plan out everything well on time! 😎
1. STANDARDIZED TESTS 📖 - July 2022 to September 2022
- You should prepare for the IELTS/TOEFL, GMAT, GRE tests and appear for them well on time to avoid last minute stress around the same.
- GMAT/ GRE requires longer months to prepare, whereas IELTS/TOEFL can be attempted with a month's preparation. So prepare accordingly and try to give the tests by september end or maximum by october 15. Not beyond that because 1-2 weeks time is required for test results to be generated.
- To start applying in november, it is ideal to have the test results in hand by october mid.
🔹 NOTE : Allow yourself some buffer time of at least 1- 2 months just in case you need to reappear for the test due to unexpected/ dissatisfactory results. So in this case, try to appear for the tests maximum by september mid week, so that by september end you can get your result. If you need to retake the test, you can do so by october end and receive results by november 2nd week max.
2. SHORTLIST UNIVERSITIES 📌 - August 2022 to October 2022
- Once you get the results of your standardized tests, you can start shortlisting universities keeping which match the minimum criteria of the scores you’ve received.
- Shortlisting takes around a month, where you can categorize the universities into 3 types : Safe, Target and Ambitious. You can place 2-4 universities in each category.
- Even after you shortlist universities, you might re-iterate the list and add more universities at a later stage too.
3. APPLICATION COMPONENTS : SOP, LOR, CV 📋 - September 2022 to October 2022
- A Statement of Purpose is a decisive aspect of the complete application process which is an essay drafted to illuminate your aspirations, achievements, and proficiency to the admissions committee of the relevant university. The main aim of the essay is to convince the evaluator that you deserve admission as you are an ideal fit for the program. And ideally takes upto 1-2 months to create.
- You can start asking your recommenders in may to allow them a months time to work on the same. You should have the LORs ready maximum by october mid/end.
- Apart from this, also work on a perfectly crafted resume which won’t take more than 2 weeks.
4. APPLY TO UNIVERSITIES ✅ - November 2022 to March 2023
- Start sending applications and the required documents to your shortlisted universities. You should always keep in mind that starting the application process as soon as possible is the best way to go.
- Applying early also increases the chances of getting a scholarship or tuition waivers from the admitted university.
- It is extremely important to keep a check of the deadlines on the official university website. Universities have multiple rounds of applications and you might not want to miss that. (Multiple rounds of applications are for the most demanded courses with the highest number of applicants)
- Many universities provide an early decision schedule, during which candidates hear from universities sooner than late applicants.
So it’s more important to keep a track of the deadlines and plan out tentative dates on which you should apply. But, make sure to not apply in the last week in a hassle.
- Please check with the university if they take rolling admissions or not. In the case of - Rolling admissions, the universities assess and give out admits as and when the applications are submitted to them. It’s important to apply to these universities as early as possible to get an admit.
- Universities who do not have rolling admissions, they only assess all the applications after the deadline date has passed. And give out admits in 1-3 months duration.
🔹 NOTE : If you are planning to apply to the top universities (Ivy league unis or top 20 universities in your program), you should keep a track of their deadlines because they mostly accept applications till January mid for most of the programs except some.
5. WAIT FOR ACCEPTANCE LETTERs ✉️ - February 2023 to May 2023
- This is the time when you will begin to get acceptance letters from universities. Nonetheless, this duration is the testing phase of your patience level. Some universities usually take around 2-3 months to revert.
🔹 NOTE - Universities generally require you to accept admission letters with a USD deposit in a month’s duration so that they can issue the i20 to you. However, it’s possible that you might be waiting for admits from other universities as well at that time. This is the time when you can reset your priority universities and take wise decisions.
6. Work on your POST-ADMISSION CHECKLIST 📑 - April 2023 to June 2023
- Your post-admission process principally involves getting the I-20 immigration form and F1 Visa.
- Visa processing is one of the demanding tasks. You need to procure the I-20 immigration form, fill up DS-160, look out for slots, and prepare for the visa interview. The entire process involves handling numerous documents, including the passport and finances.
7. ACCOMMODATION 🏠 - June 2023 to August 2023
- You can connect with students who are admitted to the same university/program and hunt for accommodation.
- It’s best to connect with current university students for the best advice on looking for accommodation in or near the university.
8. BEGIN YOUR NEW ACADEMIC JOURNEY - August/ September 2023!! 🥳
ALL THE BEST 😁
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