Students, who want to study abroad, have the advantage of having multiple study abroad intakes usually ranging from two to four per year. Even if a student misses one intake, he/she can apply for another one. This allows Indian students the flexibility to choose the intake period that works best for them and gives them more opportunities to study abroad throughout the academic year. This article provides information about study abroad intakes, which include fall intake, spring intake, summer intake, and various other details that a study abroad aspirant must know.

Why these universities welcome students in two intakes?

Every university receives thousands of applications each year and it becomes difficult to accommodate a huge crowd in one intake.The universities keep the option available for spring intake considering any constraints due to which a student might not be able to take admission in the fall intake

Types of Study Abroad Intakes :

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 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 or early January.

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.

Summer Intake

• Summer Intake months are usually May to August.
• Summer Intake is available in a handful of universities.
• There are a limited number of courses and Universities.
• Fewer students apply in the Summer Intake, hence, competition is less and an acceptance rate is high.