When to Apply For College to Study Abroad?

Primarily, for a lot of people, travelling abroad to study is like killing two birds with one stone. You finally take the classes you want in a better country. While you are also fulfilling that insatiable craving to travel to another country to see new places and meet new people. However, while making a decision to study abroad finally is easy, deciding on the right time to travel is a difficult task that entirely depends on several factors.

Choosing the best time to apply for college abroad is as tricky as every other thing involved in the process. This is because no two universities have similar academic calendars, and therefore all colleges have their peculiar academic schedules that serve as a guide for their yearly programs. The academic calendar of a particular college serves as the best determinant to use for your application process.

Naturally, the first stage of choosing the proper time to travel overseas is to contact the international studies office of the school which you intend to attend, to know about their academic calendar. Typically, there are several times during a full academic school year that students are allowed to travel abroad to study. 

This is primarily determined by the type of educational program you are applying for. While most people decide on the full-time option, there are also other alternative programs of study that can also influence the time of application.

You could be studying full time, part-time or you could be an exchange student. Alternatively, there are travel options for students who have decided to take online courses from their native countries and decided to travel overseas to round up on the studies.

Technically, these are several alternatives that would be offered to a prospective student seeking to study abroad. Therefore, the best time for travelling to study overseas highly depends on the nature of your program of study.

Consequently, this is a varying factor for everybody, that is the single reason why knowing the right time to travel abroad can be such a difficult task.

 Here are some factors you may consider-

1. How to choose the right time to apply for college to study abroad?

While it would be pretty much more comfortable if there were a right time to apply for colleges to study overseas, however, this is never the case. There is no single appropriate time for everybody to use to study abroad. This based on the fact that there are numerous factors to be taken into consideration before the application process is begun.

2. The timing of the school academic calendar

Technically, prospective students looking to apply to colleges to study abroad are basically encouraged to apply on time to give them adequate flexibility to make preparations for the necessary logistics involved in the process.

Naturally, a student finds out about the application date of a college of their choice abroad, and they proceed to apply early. If they are granted admission into the college, then there are several requirements that he has to meet before he can successfully travel overseas to commence his education.

 Several of these requirements include but are not limited to the submission of academic documents, submission of international passports, payment of tuition fees, visa application, application for residency at the foreign country, medical insurance, travel tickets, and traveller’s insurance.

Therefore, with an early implementation and a successful outcome, you then have sufficient time to make preparations for several other necessary requirements that could significantly hinder your dreams of studying overseas.

 However, once you know about the school’s academic calendar, there is typically a period for application. Students can then decide to apply early if they wish. Some other colleges may not be able to give a time, but they could announce that the best time to apply could be the specific number of months before the session commences. This way, you can determine how to apply early for quick consideration, especially in cases where admission slots could be limited.

3. The duration of your program of study

While it is a common occurrence for people studying abroad to opt for the full-time program, most other people who study abroad also travel there for several other academic programs. However, assuming that you are going for a full session, it is always best to check with the school’s academic calendar to know the best time for application.

 Because several schools have different application procedures, some may compel prospective students to apply one year before the session begins. For some others, this could be six months; various other colleges can accept applications three months before the beginning of the course or semester. However, since there is international travel involved, most times, government policies come into play and could affect your chances of finally travelling. 

Therefore, this way, it is still recommended to apply pretty early for any foreign education program to cater for unforeseen delays which can come from your part, the side of the college, and most significantly from the embassy of the country of your college.

4. Academic prerequisites for your intended program of study

Once more, another factor that can significantly affect your time for applying to a college abroad is if any prerequisites need completing before you travel abroad. Some academic institutions will also let you provide equivalencies about any course requirements that you may have to fulfil before you finally fly out of your home country.

In this case, it may mean that you will have to satisfy this requirement before you are finally allowed to begin your studies in your new school.

Conclusion

While most academic programs have specific periods in the school calendar that indicate the best time to apply. Generally, it is highly recommended that prospective students use as early as they can for early applications not only have better chances of getting admission, but first applications can also expose you to the various alternatives for scholarship in the school. The benefits of applying on time are numerous and will make settling into the school environment a lot easier.