GRE Registrations & Application Deadlines

Deadlines. They might not have been important in your high school’s annual essay assignment, but unfortunately that is not the case when it comes to graduate school admissions. Here, if you miss the deadline, you miss the deadline. Therefore, it is highly advised that you keep a check on your favorite university’s websites and note down the deadlines for application for the various intakes. Not that if you overlook the deadline, you stand to not only lose the chance of scholarship but you might lose out on being selected as well. Therefore, it is essential, like in any other scenario in life, to keep a check on the deadlines for college admissions.

Here, we give to you the typical deadlines for various colleges:

Spring semester is the semester that begins usually in Jan/Feb. The deadlines for application close approximately 9 months before i.e. around Mar/Apr.

Fall semester is the semester that begins usually around Aug/Sep. The deadlines for application close approx 9 months before i.e. around Dec/Jan.

These semester deadline fluctuate a little on the basis of country and program. So, it would be advisable to check on the college’s website for deadlines. Furthermore, there are some colleges which only have either of spring or fall admission. Therefore, you get only one chance of applying to that college in the whole year. Therefore, it is crucial to check the college’s website for deadlines and keeping it in mind.

Another vital thing about course offerings in fall and spring are that the greater part of the classes that are offered in Fall are pre-imperatives for courses offered in Spring. Regularly, class calendars are arranged with a movement of beginning in fall and proceeding with the course work in spring.

It would be advisable to apply in the first round of counseling for admissions. Usually, the first round of counseling is 1-2 months before the deadlines for application.

Most top universities have deadlines before Dec 15, 20xx.

Over 60% of the schools have deadlines before Jan 15, 20xx.

For instance, for fall 2017, data for CS department for the top 100 schools shows this:

From examination of the graph located above, we can reach following conclusions:

1. 3% of colleges close their deadline before December beginning. So, rest assured, for fall semester, by November, you should start worrying about deadlines and completing your application package. This includes revising your LoRs, SoPs, CV and finalizing the drafts. Also, collecting all the documents, transcripts, research credentials etc. should be completed before the month ends.
2. By December 1st half, 28% of colleges have closed their deadlines. And this time period is vital, because these colleges are the top ranked colleges, including Ivy League universities and other top 10 colleges. So, if you are aiming for the likes of these, then this is the time bracket you need to keep in focus.
3. By January 1st half, more than 50% of colleges have their deadlines closed. These include top colleges, good colleges and even average to good colleges.
4. By March 1st half, 88% of colleges are finished with their deadlines. These include top colleges, good colleges and even average colleges. Now, only lower than average colleges, and some specific courses in a few colleges are left, which might not necessarily be bad, but they are definitely few in number, as you can interpret from the graph.
5. By March end, all the colleges are done with their deadline. Now, you have to apply for the next intake for admission.

The most important point to note from the graph above is that if you wish to gain admission into a good college, you must be ready with your application package by December. This does not mean slacking on the proper preparation of LoRs, SoPs etc. as these documents are important. Therefore, you must follow a proper timeline and should be equipped with a proper plan to tackle the deadlines and make sure that you don’t miss the deadline on your dream school. It’s as the old saying goes, ‘Suffer the pain of discipline, or suffer the pain of regret’.

So, be prepared with your application, keep a plan in mind, be certain of the deadlines and make sure you give it your best shot!

Read Further:
GRE Exam
GRE Syllabus

BYJU’S will be glad to help you in your GRE preparation journey. You can ask for any assistance related to GRE from us by just giving a missed call at +918884544444, or you can drop an SMS. You can write to us at gre@byjus.com.

X