Fall Intake or Spring Intake: Which round should I Apply in?
Find out the best time to apply to dream college according to your profile.

International students have long been perplexed by the Fall vs Spring argument. Most international universities have two entrance intakes for all classes and courses every year. The Fall semester runs from Sept to Dec, while the Spring semester runs from Jan to May. Universities accept students in two separate intakes rather than simply one for two reasons.
For starters, accommodating too many students in a single semester is challenging. In addition, most international colleges receive thousands of applications each year, so admitting so many students at once will be a challenge. That is why an intake section has been established.
Second, there may be a variety of reasons why many students are unable to apply for the Fall semester. As a result, institutions accept students who could not apply during the Fall semester. In essence, the majority of students apply for the Fall Intake as compared to the Spring Intake, which results in larger class sizes for the Fall semester.
Though there may not be significant differences between fall or spring intake in terms of education and research facilities, universities have for a long time adopted the practice of accepting students either in fall or spring intake. In contrast, a few schools have both intakes. But, with that out of the way, let’s talk about which semester you should apply for and why.
Is Spring intake Ideal for me?

If you need a couple of months of a break to put all your application in place, then, by all means, go for it. Take your own time, and apply for the spring intake.
A great GRE /GMAT score coupled with a strong application is the gateway to your dream university. Sometimes, waiting a while and preparing to perfect your GMAT/GRE and application is worth it, especially if it lands you into your dream college. In this case, rather than losing out on a year and waiting for the next session, the spring intake can prove to be a viable option.
What are the advantages of applying for the Fall season?
- In certain universities, you can’t apply for internships until you’ve completed two semesters, so if you started your MS in the spring, you might be out of luck.
- Some institutions begin teaching fundamental courses in the fall and advanced courses in the spring, so it would be better to start with the basics and work your way up.
- Fall admissions are substantially higher than Spring admissions. Therefore you may have a reasonable chance of getting in even if your GRE score is low.
- Spring Admissions are not available at all universities.
During the Fall season, the number of sources of financial aid is much higher.
What are the advantages of applying for the Spring season?
- Because fewer students may apply for Spring applications, your chances of being accepted may be better.
- After completing your undergrad examinations, you can begin your MS programme in the spring rather than waiting for admissions to open up in the fall.
Which season should you apply for?
Candidates applying for courses in the United States may often choose a semester based on their convenience rather than the advantages of enrolling in that semester. This is owing to the time-consuming procedures required in applying for admission.
As a result, most candidates will choose to pursue their higher education abroad, which will need them to wait for their results and original certificates. The time it takes for candidates to receive these documents varies from nation to country and even from institution to institution within a country. The delay in processing their results will, in turn, create a delay in visa registration.
Most candidates prefer to apply for the Fall semester because it saves them a year and helps them spend more time on campus getting to know the place and adjusting to the surroundings before their summer break. However, while this is the ideal situation, most candidates will be unable to attend the Fall semester. Instead, they will enrol for the Spring semester, by which time all of their paperwork will be finished, and they will be ready to go without worry.
Another issue to consider is that, while all institutions accept applications in the Fall semester, a small number of universities do not accept applications in the Spring semester. Therefore, candidates interested in specific courses at specific universities should check to see if the courses are offered in the Spring semester. If the Spring semester is available, candidates will have enough time to prepare for exams such as the SAT, GRE, TOEFL, or IELTS in accordance with their needs.
Let’s compare the spring and fall intakes:
1. University
You must first determine whether your preferred school accept applications for both seasons. For the Spring semester, a large number of top 100 colleges have no admissions openings. It’s also not easy to determine which universities have varied intakes and which don’t, as university websites resemble a convoluted maze.
Therefore, if you want to apply for the Spring semester, you need to conduct an extensive study to determine the available intakes. This should be done before you start preparing for examinations like the IELTS, TOEFL, or GMAT. This early judgement will assist you in determining whether you have sufficient time to prepare for the examinations.
2. Application procedure
You have to fill out an application online and submit the other application materials, such as letters of recommendation, GMAT/GRE, TOEFL/IELTS scores, college transcripts and admission essays /Statement of Purpose, just like people do in Fall intake. Hence there are limited differences in this regard when it comes to these two sessions.
3. Acceptance Rate
Many institutions have set admissions quotas for each semester. Because the class sizes are substantially greater for the Fall Intake, you might have a better chance of being accepted. If your profile is exceptional, you will have a better chance of being accepted into the Spring Intake.
4. Internships opportunities
In many cases, universities are flexible enough to allow you to complete your entire degree in 3 semesters, which means you can get a job or internship much earlier. You also get to save some money since you won’t be paying any tuition fees for the additional semester.
5. Assistantship
Because the academic year begins with the Fall semester, students will have greater options to get on-campus jobs and internships, particularly research-based courses. Many professors start their research at the beginning of the academic year and do not hire new assistants until the middle. During the Fall semester, there will undoubtedly be additional opportunities to work as research assistants or teaching assistants.
6. Graduation
Universities sometimes allow you to finish your post-graduate degree in three semesters. If you can achieve that, you’ll be able to start earning money sooner. However, suppose you will enrol in the fall semester. In that case, it will be simpler to graduate in three semesters because you will complete your coursework by the following Spring semester and will still have a few months before campus recruitment begins. You could apply for an internship or other part-time employment during those months.
7. Visa
You may have heard rumours that it is easier to get a student visa during a fall intake. But these have no ground as your chances of getting a visa to depend on your overall profile, not the intake you apply in. Further, once you get admission from a school, it is rare to have your VISA rejected, no matter when you use it. Just make sure you take care of all the respective formalities required.

11. Weather
This doesn’t seem to be a deal-breaker, but it’s something to think about. Temperatures can be extreme depending on where you want to study. If you plan to study in a state like California or Florida, where there is sunshine every day of the year, you will most likely be fine. However, if your desired university is located in the northern portion of the country and you arrive in January, you will be greeted by a mound of snow as soon as you enter the country.
12. Student Transfers
What if you were unable to gain admission to the university of your choice and were forced to settle for a lesser institution? Yes, once you’ve been accepted into a university, you have the opportunity to transfer to another. While the specifics of how to do so are outside the scope of this blog, you must know that the entire process could take many months. Therefore, in that scenario, you’d be better off going in the fall because if everything goes well, you’ll be able to transfer to another university the following semester.
13. Readiness
The majority of students apply for the autumn semester because they have completed their undergraduate studies by then. But, it is not always true, and students may require more time to settle in. There’s no point rushing your applications if you don’t think you’ll be ready to start classes in September.

In conclusion, we believe there are various pros and cons of applying to B-schools for fall or spring intake but depending on how you plan, it can easily be traversed.
The B-Schools which accepts application for spring intake are as follows-
Sr. No. | School Name | Country | Programme name |
1 | IE Business School | Spain | Master in Management |
2 | National Singapore of University:NUS | Singapore | MSc in Management |
3 | Singapore Management University | Singapore | MSc in Management |
4 | Ivey Business School | Canada | MSc in Management |
5 | IESEG School of Management | France | Master of Science in International Business |
6 | Grenoble Graduate School of Business | France | Master in International Business |
7 | HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management | Germany | MSc in Management |
8 | Maastricht University | Netherlands | Master in International Business |
9 | Australian National University | Australia | Master of Management |
10 | Melbourne Business School | Australia | Master in management |
11 | University of Sydney | Australia | Master in Management |
12 | Monash University | Australia | Master of management |
13 | Macquarie Graduate School of Management | Australia | Master of Management |
14 | Swinburne University of Technology | Australia | Master of Business Management |
15 | Sydney Business School, | Australia | Master of Business |
16 | La Trobe University | Australia | Master of Management |
17 | University of the Sunshine Coast | Australia | Master of Management |
18 | Aquinas College | USA | Master of Management |
19 | Barry University | USA | Master of Management |
20 | Bellevue University | USA | Master of Management |
21 | University of South Carolina, Moore | USA | Master in International Business |
22 | University of Maryland University College | USA | Master of International Management |
23 | Washington School of Business | USA | Master of Science in Management |
The B-Schools which accepts application for fall intake are as follows-
Sr no. | University | Country |
1. | Harvard Business School | United States |
2. | Stanford University | United States |
3. | Kellogg School of Management | United States |
4. | The Wharton School | United States |
5. | Booth School, University of Chicago | United States |
6. | Yale University | United States |
7. | Kelley, Indiana University | United States |
Confused about which school would be a better fit for your career?
Take our Free Profile Evaluation to get an understanding of where you stand and which schools can be a good fit for you. Also, fall or spring intake which intake could be best for you.
Also, you may want to check out our Essay Editing to know how we can help you get admitted into your dream college.
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Conclusion
So, before deciding which semester to apply for, you should consider the following factors. Even after reading all of these reasons, you might be unsure what you should do. And that’s perfectly fine. It will take some time. So, what you have to do is give it some serious thought.
But if you ask us what you should do, we’ll tell you that it’s entirely up to you.
Though it may appear from the points we discussed above that applying for the spring semester is a disadvantage, this is not the case. It all relies on what you require right now and what you intend to do in the future. And just because you have a tiny edge when applying for the autumn semester doesn’t mean you have to wait till then and squander your valuable time sitting at home or in an office you despise. If you genuinely cannot wait until the fall, or if you believe you would have the best chance if you apply in the spring, then go ahead!
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FAQ’s
Is it better to submit an application in the fall or the spring?
For each semester, many universities have set admissions quotas. Because the Fall Intake has much larger class sizes, you may have a better chance of being accepted. If your profile is exceptional or above average, you’ll have a better chance of getting into the Spring Intake.
When should you submit your application for fall admission?
The Fall Intake begins typically in September and finishes in December. Because most institutions accept applications during this time, the fall intake is regarded as one of the best. The fall intake is particularly well-known among MBA and other full-time students.
Is there a distinction between September and January intake?
There is no difference between the qualifications you receive in January and September. If this is in the context of your first year of university, any months you miss because you started in January will delay your graduation by that amount of time. Two graduations would be held each year at such institutions.
Which is the better option for the US: fall or spring?
You should start applying 9-12 months before the intake date. The average time for a university in the United States to process an application is 8-10 weeks. Fall intake, on the other hand, is frequently preferable. Unfortunately, the Spring or Summer Intake is not available at all universities.
What is the fall intake in the United States?
Fall intake is the most popular in the United States, and most overseas students prefer it because it runs from August through December. It also gives students enough time to study for standardised tests and the application process in the United States.
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