The summer intake in the USA starts in May and concludes in August. It will begin again in 2023 and students need to know about the application dates and deadlines as a lot has changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike the Fall and Spring intakes, Summer intake is not offered across all courses and by every university in the USA. However, it can be a good choice if a student’s preferred courses are available.
How Does the Application Intake Work in the USA
There are three admission intakes – summer, spring, and fall. As most universities offer, there is a massive pool of applicants for the spring and fall intakes. Students can choose any intake of their choice depending on the completion of their studies in India and the availability of test dates for GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, etc. Each intake session begins and ends in different months of the year, making it an all-around admission session.
Intake Session
Commencing month
Concluding month
Description
Fall
August
December
US Universities and departments commence their flagship and major programs during this intake and offer a wide variety of courses. There are a large number of applicants leading to intense competition.
Spring
January
April
Students who miss the Fall intake get extra time to prepare application documents and obtain a US visa. It does not offer as many courses as the Fall intake.
Summer
May
August
Enhanced chances of getting an offer as the number of applicants is less. Very few colleges and universities in the USA offer short-duration courses for non-English speaking candidates.
Summer Intake in the USA- Learning about it
The summer intake has smaller-duration courses or programs available for applicants. Universities majorly provide language programs at this time intended to help non-native speakers of English. A limited number of universities and colleges provide admission during the summer intake while fewer students apply. It indicates that your chances of landing an offer from a reputed institution increase considerably.
Merits and Demerits of Summer Intake
There are several advantages of summer intake that you should know about. They include:
● Universities usually offer shorter courses and certified programs to give you a head start.
● Your chances of getting in are higher since fewer students apply during this time.
● There are liberal subjects, and it is not compulsory in some towns and cities to attend classes during the summer semester.
● Students can opt for online classes while applying for spring internships.
● Many universities offer comprehensive internship programs for students enrolling in summer courses.
Here are some disadvantages:
● Limited universities offer summer intakes for applicants, focusing instead on the spring and fall intakes.
● Not all courses are available for students during this time.
● Scholarships and other student aid may be limited during the summer intake.
Types of Deadlines for Admission to US Universities
The USA has a broad way of incorporating students, unlike India, where admission takes place only once a year. The US education system gives students the liberty to take admission throughout the year. Every university has different types of deadlines for admissions, which are categorized as follows:
Early Decision
Students applying in the Early Decision deadlines get priority over other students as they apply for admissions a few months before the commencement of regular deadlines. However, some students see this as a downside to Early Decision deadlines because they do not know if they will be getting the admissions for sure.
Regular Decision
When students apply to universities having deadlines between January to April, they are said to abide by the Regular Decision deadlines. The final results for those students applying in the Regular Decision deadlines are out by mid-April.
Rolling Basis
There is no fixed deadline for applications set by certain colleges and universities. Instead, they set a priority deadline before which the application process has to be concluded. The application evaluation and admission process are dynamic on a rolling basis application-system type, and students are admitted at regular intervals until the seats for a course are filled.
Deadlines for Applying to Summer Intake Universities in the USA
The deadlines for applying to the summer intake universities in the USA vary across universities. However, the deadlines would vary from January 2023 to April 2023. Students need to keep an eye on the website of the respective colleges so that they do not miss the deadlines.
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Conclusion
The summer intake is a good idea for students who are unwilling to lose an entire year just because they missed the Fall or Spring intake. There are still some universities and courses available, and they might find one to their liking. Provided that there is more time to prepare for standardized examinations and applications.
The chances of getting into a reputed institution are also higher. Spring internships become easier to apply for upon getting into a summer intake program. At the same time, the benefits of online classes and virtual holidays during this period in several cities and towns in the US can also be availed.
The summer intake is usually not preferred by most international applicants. They typically choose the fall and spring intakes with more universities and courses. However, the summer intake still has some universities, although limited in number, offering several courses for aspirants. The subjects are mostly liberal, and online class options may also be provided. Students applying in the summer intake may benefit from spring term internships.
What is the summer semester in the USA?
The summer semester spans three months, beginning from June and going on till the end of August. The summer semester in the US is sometimes optional for students. Candidates usually use this time to get part-time jobs and internships that help them gain industry exposure while enhancing their knowledge.
Is it worth going for summer intake for MS in the US?
There are many benefits of choosing summer intake for MS in the US. The biggest advantage here is that there are several on-campus jobs available. The enrollment in summer is optional, meaning that international students get permission to take up full-time work, i.e., for up to 40 hours during their break. The main thing is that they will go back to working 20 hours every week once the break finishes. Hence, you will naturally gain from getting admission during the summer, meeting seniors, working for 40 hours in on-campus jobs, and then getting a job by the fall. You also get an advantage over many of your peers since you will qualify for applying to internships during spring.
A post graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, Pratishtha enjoys penning down things significant. What interests her the most is exploring and researching on gamut of study abroad.