Conquer US Admissions: International Students' Guide to 2024 Deadlines
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Conquer US Admissions: International Students' Guide to 2024 Deadlines

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Aishwarya
Aishwarya Bhatnagar
Study Abroad Expert
Updated on Feb 15, 2024 23:01 IST

US University Application Deadline for International Students 2024: From Early Action to rolling admissions the article is an ultimate guide to help international students choose the US university deadlines to apply. This is a roadmap for 2024 admissions based on the international applicant’s choice of deadline for applying to US universities. Check out the details below.

US University Deadlines

US universities have certain deadlines based on the intake the international student chooses to apply. The intakes and deadlines vary across US universities based on the level of course or type of course opted for. There is a detailed section on what deadlines are followed across universities in the USA and what are their benefits. 

Which Intake to Apply in USA Universities?

There are two major intakes in the USA, the primary intake is the Fall intake in USA and the secondary intake is the Spring intake in USA. Based on these intakes, students can choose their universities.

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While some courses are available in the Fall intake, the same may be available in the Spring intake also but it is not necessary. Thus, applicants must check all course and university details before they decide to study in the USA. 








To understand in detail, a brief comparison of Fall vs Spring intake in the USA has been given below:

Factors 

Fall Intake in USA

Spring Intake in USA

Application Deadlines

December

May 

Competition Level

Very high

Lower than Fall intake

Financial Aid Offered

Maximum students are offered

A few students are offered

Internships 

A maximum number of students can get good opportunities

Opportunities may be limited in this intake

Accommodation 

Easily available on-campus or off-campus

Can take time to find the right accommodation because of fewer options

Based on the intake, applicants can choose the intake they wish to apply to for US universities. The deadlines for US universities can vary based on the course type. For more details, applicants can check - Which Intake Season to Choose?  Let us understand the various US application deadlines. 







Types of 2024-25 Deadlines in US Universities

There are different types of application deadlines for international students applying for admission in the USA. These deadlines are as follows:

  • Early Action
  • Early Decision I & II
  • Regular Decision I & II
  • Rolling Admissions
  • Priority Deadline
  • Regular Deadline
  • Round wise Deadline (course/department specific)

Each of these US application deadlines varies based on the deadlines they accept applications for. The following sections will look at the US university application deadlines for international students for 2024-2025. 

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US University Application Deadline for International Students 2024

The US university's deadlines are different from one another and each university follows a different pattern altogether. The following sections will discuss in brief about the application deadlines and universities in the USA following those deadlines.

Early Action vs Early Decision

As the name suggests, Early Action and Early Decision are two application deadlines for international students at US universities. These deadlines basically are for those undergraduate students who wish to apply early and get a decision early. These US application deadlines are valid only for those who are prepared to apply for admission. 

Factors of Differentiation

Early Action Deadline in USA

Early Decision Deadline in USA

Meaning 

Apply early for early action on the application

Apply early to get an early decision on the application

Binding / Non-Binding

Non-binding admissions can accept offers elsewhere

Binding admissions, cannot accept any other offers

Application Deadline

December 

November 

Admission Decision

January / February

By December

Re-Application 

Applicable whether or not received an offer letter

Not applicable if received an offer letter

Thus, these are two different deadlines for applications in USA, but not necessary that if one deadline is available, the other one will also be available. 

Early Action US Application Deadlines

There are over 400+ US universities which offer admission to undergraduates in the Early Action deadline. The following universities in USA accept applications for early Action from international students:

Early Action US Universities

Deadlines for the University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

November 1

Harvard University

Princeton University

University of Miami

Yale University

University of Chicago

University of Michigan

University of Delaware

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

November 15

University of Georgia

October 15

University of Tampa

May 1

The above-given deadlines for all major universities can be applied for the Spring 2025 intake because the 2024 deadlines have passed. Except for the last university, for which admission can be taken for Fall intake 2024 only. 

Early Decision USA Admission Deadline 

In some US universities, there are two Early Decision deadlines, one is in November and the other in January ideally. The following universities in USA accept applications for its Early Decision and they are as follows:

Early Decision US Universities 

Deadlines 

American University

Early Decision I: November 15

Early Decision II: January 15

Boston University

Early Decision I: November 1

Early Decision II: January 4

Brandeis University

Early Decision I: November 1

Early Decision II: January 2

Johns Hopkins University

Early Decision I: November 15

Early Decision II: January 15

New York University (NYU)

Early Decision I: November 1

Early Decision II: January 1

Tufts University

Early Decision I: November 1

Early Decision II: January 4

University of Chicago

Early Decision I: November 1

Early Decision II: January 2

Vanderbilt University

Early Decision I: November 1

Early Decision II: January 1

Wesleyan University

Early Decision I: November 15

Early Decision II: January 1

University of Miami

Early Decision I: November 1

Early Decision II: January 1

It is beneficial to apply for the Early Action and Early Decision deadlines in US universities because of the following reasons:

  • These ‘Early Deadlines’ are for those international students who have researched thoroughly and made up their minds.
  • Also, those who have their standardised scores of either SAT or ACT available with them for submission.
  • Those applicants who have a good GPA and have the confidence to make it through the admission process in one go and get an offer letter as well.
  • Finally, Early Action or Decision deadlines are suitable for those applicants also who are well-equipped and have a backup plan if this doesn’t work.

However, applicants who still miss a mark can apply for the next rounds of admission, which they should be aware of. 

Regular Decision I & Regular Decision II for US Universities

The Regular Decision deadline as the name suggests is the regular deadline for applying to any university. The Regular Decisions are also two in some cases but the admission decision is delivered on or before April 1. The following universities offer admission in the Regular Deadline to international students:

Regular Decision US Universities

Deadlines 

Harvard University

January 1

University of Georgia

Johns Hopkins University 

January 2

Northwestern University

January 3

MIT 

January 4

Rice University

NYU

January 5

Santa Clara University

January 7

University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

November 30

University of California, Davis

There are over 200 US universities which offer admissions in Regular Decision to international students. Thus, it's up to students to choose how well prepared they are to apply for either the Early Deadlines or the Regular Deadlines. The benefits of applying for the Regular Deadlines are:

  • International applicants have enough time to prepare their applications, essays and resumes.
  • They can take time to prepare for the SAT or ACT and then sit for the exam keeping buffer for score submission to universities.
  • There will also be sufficient time to choose the recommenders and request them to fill out the applicant's letters of recommendation (LOR)
  • Finally, applicants can prepare their applications in such a manner that they can submit all their documents together in the application. 

The only disadvantage of applying in the Regular Decision deadline is that there is a lot of competition among applicants. Thus, applicants will have to be at the top of their academics to make it for US university admissions for the Regular Decision. 

Rolling Admissions US Universities Admission Deadlines

There is also a case where US universities accept applications from students for a particular course until the seats are full. This type of admission application deadline in the US universities is termed as rolling admissions. The following Universities accept admission applications on a rolling basis:

Rolling Admissions at US Universities

Michigan State University

Andrews University

Pennsylvania State University

Arkansas State University

University of New Haven

Bellevue University

University of Pittsburgh

Brigham Young University

University of Tulsa

California State University

Clark University

Dakota State University

The rolling admissions universities in USA are more than 500+ for international students. Thus, students who apply for rolling admissions can apply for admissions at any point in time till the university accepts them. The only benefit of applying for admission in the rolling admission deadline is that the applicant can apply at any time and at his/her ease. 

Round Wise Admission Deadlines for US Universities Application

The round-wise deadlines are basically for those who are applying for MBA courses at US universities. There may be exceptions to course or department-specific admissions at US universities as well. Following US universities offering MBA conduct round-wise admissions for international students are as follows with their deadlines: 

US Universities Accepting Round-Wise Admissions

Course 

Deadlines 

Stanford University

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

University of Pennsylvania

MBA

Round 1: September 6

Round 2: January 4

Round 3: April 2

Harvard University

MBA

Round 1 & Round 2

MIT

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

Columbia University

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

Northwestern University

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

UCB

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

University of Chicago

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

University of California, LA

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

Yale University

MBA

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

The round-wise admission deadlines in the USA are mostly for graduate courses, especially the MBA. There are different rounds for application submission and each round has a specific deadline. The applicants who wish to apply can check which round of application is suitable for them and apply before the deadlines. The average time for application processing is 6-8 weeks and this may vary with the university of application also. Students who have the knack can apply for the very first round of application also. Check out about MBA in USA

Priority Deadlines in US Universities 

The priority deadline is another application deadline for international students in USA where the students are encouraged to apply before the deadline so that their applications are considered for acceptance. This deadline is basically for graduate students applying for admission to US universities. Some of the US universities accepting applications under priority deadlines are as follows:

In some cases, the priority deadline is also for those who are applying for a scholarship. Hence, it is beneficial to apply within this deadline. In case students miss out, they can apply to the university after the deadline. 

Thus, these are the deadlines that international students can find across various US universities while applying for admission. The applicants must check the intake and then choose their deadlines to apply. The deadlines vary for undergraduate and graduate students. This is more or less the way deadlines are understood while applying to the US for higher education. 

For admission and application-related assistance, sign up for our free counselling at Shiksha Abroad Counselling and request a call back from our expert counsellors. You can also write to us with your queries in the comments box below.

Q:   What GPA is required for the University of South Dakota?

A:

The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.

Q:   What GPA is needed to go to Ohio State?

A:

There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.

Q:   Is it hard to get into the UTSA in San Antonio Texas?

A:

According to various sources, University of Texas San Antonio has an overall acceptance rate of around 87% which makes it somewhat selective for international student admissions. Some of the general requirements to be considered for admission are given as follows:

Q:   Is University of North Dakota good for Indian students?

A:

The University of North Dakota is one of the top choices for international students to pursue their higher education. The UND warmly welcomes its international students as they have contributed a lot to the success of the university. Moreover, the university offers a top-notch environment, the best academic opportunities, technical & career training, etc. The university boasts over 1000 international students who represent more than 95 countries. Additionally, international students highly enjoy the facilities provided by the University of North Dakota. The UND is one of the largest research universities in the United States for international students.

Q:   How much is the application fee for Alabama University?

A:

The Alabama University application fee for International students vary by application type. Mentioned below are the application fee for UG and PG applications at Alabama:

  • UG: USD 40 or INR 3,342.14
  • MBA: USD 80 or INR 6,684.28

Q:   Can I get into Oregon State with a 3.5 GPA?

A:

International students must have at least a GPA between 2.5 and 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 for UG and PG admission at Oregon State. Therefore, candidates are eligible to get admission to the university with a 3.5 GPA in their academics. Oregon State University GPA requirements are different for undergraduate and graduate admission. Mentioned below is the range of GPA required for Oregon State University admissions:

ProgramMinimum GPA Required (on a scale of 4.0)
Undergraduate2.5 - 3.0
Graduate2.5 - 3.0

Read about the Grading System in the USA

Q:   What is Northwest Missouri acceptance rate?

A:

The Northwest Missouri acceptance rate for international students is around 80%. This shows that the university follows a moderate selection criteria when it comes to admission. However, the moderate selection criteria does not imply that the university accepts every application. International students must showcase their excellent academic performance, score high GPA, submit standardized test scores and English language proficiency test scores. In addition, if a student has a history of participation in relevant extracurricular or experience, their selection probability increases by 50%.

Q:   What GPA do I need to get into Northwest Missouri state?

A:

Northwest Missouri State University expects a cumulative GPA of 2 for UG programs and 3 for PG programs on a scale of 4. GPA is one of the top factors when considering students for university admissions. Along with GPA, the university expects a student to provide high school transcripts from previously attended university or school, standardized test scores, English language proficiency test scores, and more. In addition, students with relevant experience in the chosen field are preferred over the studious students.

About the Author
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Written by
Aishwarya Bhatnagar
Study Abroad Expert

Aishwarya is a professional Writer currently working as a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. She has over 5 years of experience and is skilled at creating Online Content with leveraged knowledge i... Read Full Bio

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Bishakha
MS & MBA programs in USA

Bishakha is a seasoned education management professional with over 7 years of experience in overseas education industry. She has demonstrative experience in student placement, counselling, research, training, client... Read Full Bio

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