Most universities and colleges in the US follow either semester or quarter system. These universities and colleges accept applications from the students only two times a year; Fall and Spring semesters. Moreover, some other universities take in applications only for the Fall semester. Hence, it is very important for students to research on the application deadlines before applying.

Majority of the international students always wonder about the best semester to apply and the advantages and disadvantages of each semester. It is very important to make yourself clear about the different semesters or quarter system followed by the institutions. We at minglebox will provide you with basic information regarding the semesters to ward away your confusions.

Semester system and application deadlines

Fall Semester:

This is the main semester of the year and marks the period from mid August to December. The Fall semester that consists of 16 -18 weeks is the most preferable of all the semesters  as the admissions intake are usually higher and also the number of Scholarships offered is also greater when compared to the spring semester. Top Universities will close admissions by November or end of December of the previous year. Suppose if you are planning for Fall 2013 semester and heading to Top universities, apply by end of Nov/ December of the year 2012.

Spring semester:

The Spring semester commences from January and lasts till May. This semester also consists of 16-18 weeks. Most universities welcome applications only for the Fall semester. Hence the admission intake during spring is usually low. If you plan to apply for the Spring semester, you should finish your application process by the end of July of the previous year. Some Universities have September or October deadlines. Again, if you want to get a head start for admission and scholarship consideration, you should send your application packet by the end of August.

Summer Semester:

The period between mid May to mid August marks the summer semester. This is a short semester that consists of 10-12 weeks. The summer semester is usually divided into sessions; Summer Session I and Summer Session II etc with each session consisting of 5-6 weeks. Students must take note that some universities do not provide admissions for Summer semester. Hence students must clearly go through the admission policy of the universities and colleges.

Quarter system and application deadlines

Fall Quarter:

The Fall quarter semester marks the period between late September to December. Like the Fall semester, most of the universities offer huge intakes and Scholarships during the Fall Quarter, which usually consists of 12-13 weeks. Candidates willing to apply for the Fall quarter should complete the application procedure by the end of June of that year. Some Universities have July or August deadlines.

Winter Quarter:

The winter quarter commences from January and lasts till late March.  The winter quarter consists of 12-13 weeks like the Fall quarter. Candidates willing to apply for the Winter quarter should complete the application process by the beginning of October of the previous year. Students must take note that some universities have November or December deadlines.

Spring Quarter:

The period From April to late June is called the Spring Quarter in most of the US institutes. Like the other quarters, the Spring quarter also consists of 12-13 weeks. Candidates planning to apply for the spring quarter should finish the application process by the beginning of January of the same year you wish to start the course. Some Universities also have February or March deadlines.

Summer Quarter:

The Summer Quarter marks the period between July and late August. This is the shortest quarter with 8-10 weeks. Like the Summer semester, the Summer Quarter is also divided into sessions. Students must take note that most universities do not offer admissions for summer sessions.

Since the admission policy and the deadline for the semesters or quarters are different for different universities, students are advised to do a thorough check on the official websites before choosing to apply. It is always advised to apply 8-12 months prior to the deadline to avail the scholarship benefits and stay ahead in the admission race. Make the right choice and apply once you have the mandatory documents in place.

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