It is reported that the students of 25FA11 have begun to feel nervous. Therefore, today we will sort out the main content and key points about the study abroad application for 25FA11 students.
First of all, 25fall, is it too early to start applying?
The answer to this question depends on the deadline for the program you want to apply to and the time it takes you to prepare. Preparation includes standardized tests such as IELTS, application essays, letters of recommendation, collating application materials, and more. If there is any eternal "truth" in the study abroad industry, it is to plan early and get an offer early!
1. Preparation for studying abroad
First of all, you need to preliminarily determine your study abroad direction. From now on, you can find out about your target country, the general situation of your ideal school major, such as tuition fees, application materials, deadlines, etc., and plan for the final choice of school. Combined with your own situation, you can preliminarily select several schools and majors to preliminarily determine your study abroad direction.
At the same time, you need to improve your in-class academic performance (GPA). GPA largely determines what grade of school you can apply to, and the higher the GPA, the greater the advantage of applying.
You'll also need to find a teacher with a letter of recommendation. Applications usually require 2-3 letters of recommendation, which can be from the school's mentors, work leaders, and other people who have academic intersections or are related to the application major. It is recommended that you confirm your referees as early as possible.
In addition, you need to have a language test plan. Develop an exam revision plan for the IELTS, TOEFL G, and G exams (if required).
2. March-April 2024
At this stage, you need to decide on your application plan. According to your own situation, determine the target university and major you want to apply to as soon as possible, and then improve your personal background and required professional competencies according to the requirements.
You'll also need to start preparing paperwork. Paperwork is a very important part of the application, and you need to spend a lot of thought and time to come up with the structure and content.
In addition, you will need to develop an internship research plan. We all know that a soft background is very important, but you must find an internship or research project that is relevant to your application and has access to the core of your major, so that it can be helpful for your application.
3. May-June 2024
At this stage, you'll need to polish your paperwork. Constantly polish and polish the paperwork materials that need to be submitted.
You'll also need to decide on a summer internship research project.
In addition, you will also need to improve your in-class academic performance (GPA). At this stage, you also need to pay attention to the final exam review for the second semester of your junior year.
4. July-September 2024
At this stage, you need to put all your application materials on paper. According to the requirements of the target institution, prepare relevant application materials, generally including academic certificates (proof of enrollment or graduation certificate stamped in Chinese and English), school transcripts (stamped in Chinese and English), study abroad test scores (IELTS, TOEFL, GRE GMAT), clerical materials (CV RP PS recommendation letters), scientific research ** internship experience, etc.
You'll also need to use your summer to enrich your background by participating in valuable internships or research projects.
5. October-December 2024
At this stage, you will need to submit your application. This time period is the peak period for application submission, and you need to submit an online application according to the opening hours of the target university's major.
Many business programs in the United States are recruited in batches, and you should try to catch up with the first two rounds of DDL, on the one hand, you will have an advantage early, and on the other hand, you will have time to apply for a visa for international students.
Postgraduate programs in the UK are mostly in the form of rolling admission and rounds, and either method pursues a "first-come, first-served" principle, the earlier the application time, the more optional it is, and the allocation of admission places is relatively more, so it is recommended that you apply early.
In addition, the British Research Institute allows you to submit an application without a language score, although you can submit an IELTS score when you change to UMNCON, but the language classes of some colleges and universities will be held earlier, in order to avoid delays, it is recommended that you take IELTS as soon as possible within the 2-year validity period.
6. January-March 2025
At this stage, you will need to follow up on the progress of your application. After the online application, pay attention to the network power system or mailbox in time, follow up the progress of the online application, and supplement or modify the materials in time.
If you receive a rejection letter from the school, you need to make up the application for the school as soon as possible. At this time, the application deadline for most schools has been closed, but there are still programs that have not yet reached DDL, and you need to screen out schools that can still apply as soon as possible.
At this stage, you should not be overly anxious and wait patiently for the offer.
7. April-June 2025
At this stage, you need to pay attention to the final exam review for the second semester of your senior year (the GPA of your senior year is still very important!).
If you have received a conditional offer from the English Institute, such as IELTS does not meet the requirements, you can apply for a language course [pre-sessional English course, and you can make up for the lack of IELTS score through the final review test (some schools do not have language courses)]. After getting a suitable offer, you can start to prepare, and some schools will close the language course application channel in April!
You will also need to pay a deposit. The amount of the deposit (reservation fee) varies from school to school, and it can be used to offset the tuition fee after enrollment. After paying the fee, the school will consider that you have chosen to enroll and reserve the offer for you. If you do not pay the deposit by the deadline (which will be clearly indicated in the offer), the school will assume that you choose to give up your enrollment and the offer will be cancelled and invalid.
In addition, you will need to prepare and apply for a visa.