Spring vs Fall Intake: Which Intake Is Best?

If you wish to pursue your higher education overseas, having a good knowledge of study abroad intakes is crucial. Most abroad universities offer three types of admission intakes, fall, spring and summer. A student can choose between any of them based on academic factors such as the type of course programs available, etc. However, despite the three choices available, the number of enrollments of international students at abroad universities remains high in either the Fall intake or the Spring intake. So, the question here is, which intake is the best or preferred one when applying to leading universities abroad? If you are planning to conduct your admission process and are confused about the same, this blog shines light on the differences between Fall and Spring intake to help you clear this confusion.

Everything You Need To Know About The Fall Intake

The Fall intake is one of the most preferred admission intakes by international students globally. If students apply for the Fall intake, they will start their academic classes between September to December. This admission intake is offered by most study-abroad destinations such as the USA, UK, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands. While Fall intake continues to be a popular admission intake, the high competition amongst student enrollment applications can lead to a stringent acceptance rate.

Everything You Need To Know About The Spring Intake

The Spring intake is the second most preferred admission intake after the Fall intake. Students who opt for the Spring intake will attend an academic class between January to February. Students who require more time to pursue their higher education to research their academic interests can opt for the Spring intake. There are multiple universities that offer Spring admission; however, when it comes to academic offerings, most of them lack the essentials, such as limited course options, etc.

Fall vs Spring Intake: What Should You Choose?

The best way to eliminate your confusion related to which intake is best, Fall or Spring intake, is to analyse what each of them can offer you. In simple terms, when you prepare for your study abroad journey, also consider the timeframe you wish to pursue your academics. Thus, to help you make a better decision, here is a table that represents the academic expectations as per the admission intake chosen.

Academic Parameters	Fall Intake	Spring Intake
Acceptance Rate	The Fall intake is one of the prime admission preferences as it is an ideal intake as per the academic calendar in most study abroad destinations. Universities abroad receive multiple student applications where the emphasis will only be on the best ones. Thus, the acceptance rate for this intake is relatively low.	Since not many students apply for the Spring intake, the acceptance rate to pursue academics abroad in selected universities is higher than the Fall intake.
Universities List	If you pursue this intake, you can apply to more popular universities such as Harvard University, MIT, University of Oxford, Yale University, McGill University, etc.	If you pursue this intake, you can apply to good but slightly less competitive universities, like Rowan University, Dalhousie University, Humber College, City University of London, etc.
Course Availability	Students will have a range of courses to choose from when applying to the Fall intake.	Compared to the Fall intake, the Spring intake will have limited course options for students to choose from.
Eligibility Criteria	The entry requirements remain similar for any intake you apply to. It is advised to visit the universities official website to retrieve the details.	The entry requirements remain similar for any intake you apply to. It is advised to visit the universities official website to retrieve the details.
Time Duration to Prepare for Entrance Exams	If you wish to apply for the Fall intake, it is better to start preparing for and write your entrance examinations a year in advance. The university will be strict when choosing a student’s application, thus ensuring you’re prepared well.	Students who require time to prepare for their entrance examinations can make use of the Spring intake. This includes anywhere from 10 months to a year.
Internship Opportunities	There will be plenty of internship opportunities in the Fall intake as it is a highly considered admission intake.	Students in Spring intake will find it difficult to apply for internship opportunities since the latter will be taken up by Fall intake students. Also, only after 9 months can a student apply for an internship in most universities, which means students here will have to wait for a longer time to avail of one.
Building Rapport	In the Fall intake, students will meet new cultures and engage with tutors, and with time learn more about them.	In the Spring intake, students will join in the second academic year and will find it difficult to build a rapport with existing students.
Application Deadlines	The Fall intake application deadline is around December.	The spring intake application deadline is around October to December (previous year)
Financial Aid	There are better scholarship opportunities here.	Limited amount of financial aid opportunities here.
Assistantship	Opportunities for assistantships will be high for Fall intake students as tutors will hire the immediate batch since they will have more academic experience when compared to Spring intake.	Opportunities for assistantships will be lesser and harder to get in this intake since tutors will prefer Fall intake students above Spring intake ones due to their academic experience and rapport built.
Extra-curricular activities	If you’re looking to take up leadership roles in your extra-curricular activities, opting for admission in the Fall intake is better.	There will be lesser opportunities to pursue leadership roles during extra-curricular activities since most of the opportunities will be taken by Fall intake students.
Graduation	Students will graduate by Spring.	Students will graduate one month later than the Fall intake.
Who should opt for?	Students who are aware and wish to pursue their careers by September.	Students who wish to take more time to pursue their higher education can pursue their studies in the Spring intake.
Class Size	The class size will be huge.	The class size will be lesser; thus, students here can enjoy the advantage of small batch size and personalized attention.
Student Visa Process	The student visa process does not consider a student’s choice based on their admission intake.	The student visa process does not consider a student’s choice based on their admission intake.

An admission intake can be selected based on the needs of a student. If you wish to explore multiple academic choices, Fall intake is the ideal choice for you. On the other hand, if you wish to take more time to pursue your higher education or apply to write your entrance examinations again, Spring intake serves as the better choice.

Conclusion

Choosing the right study abroad intake is important as it will impact your academic and professional journey accordingly. Once you make the decision to choose between Spring vs Fall intake, it’s time to apply to universities that offer the same. Furthermore, if you wish to speak to an expert who can guide you through the process of applying to universities that offer spring/fall admission, our experienced study abroad counsellors can help. Book a free 1-1 counselling session today!