UK Application Timeline: What to Prepare Each Month!

📍 Procrastination syndrome

If you follow the timeline in this post for your UK applications, I think the whole process will go smoothly and you'll quietly save on some unnecessary hidden costs. Time to break up with procrastination!

📍 Year one

Jan - Apr

Choose schools/programs + prepare documents

May - Aug

Prepare documents + IELTS + summer internship

Sep - Dec

Submit applications + admission results + look into housing

📍 Year two

Jan - Mar

IELTS + arrange housing

Apr - Jul

Sign up for pre-sessional English + get your visa + buy flights

Aug - Oct

Pack + start school

📍 Year one, Jan - Apr

In January, start shopping around for study-abroad agencies/consultants. Once you find a good fit, start picking the 5~7 universities you want most. You can start writing your statement of purpose (SOP) and résumé (CV) early, and get recommenders to finish 2 recommendation letters (RLs). There are usually education fairs in March; sign up to scout universities you're interested in and ask the school reps questions. In April, focus on midterms and put your application documents on hold. Don't neglect your grades.

📍 Year one, May - Aug

After midterms, consider whether to do a summer internship, and keep working on your application documents, such as your SOP, CV and RLs. Setting aside June finals, aim to finish all documents by September 25. Also, although IELTS scores can be submitted later for UK applications, Manchester requires an overall 6.5 with 6.0 in each component at the time you apply. So if you have the bandwidth, get familiar with the IELTS question types first, and ideally hit the application requirement before October.

Note: not every Manchester program requires you to meet the 6- or 10-week pre-sessional English standard when you apply. It's more common in the business school, environment and development (SEED), languages and social sciences. The IELTS overall 6.5 with 6.0 in each component mentioned here is the Manchester business school's requirement.

📍 Year one, Sep - Dec

From September to November, schools open their application systems one after another and you can start submitting. With luck, you'll get admission results from some universities before Christmas in December! And of course, keep preparing for IELTS! I'd suggest taking it at least once between October and December to see where you stand. Once you get an offer from your first choice, pay the deposit + accept the offer, then start looking into + booking on- or off-campus housing.

📍 Year two, Jan - Mar

Book on- or off-campus housing. Prices may be a bit higher than in November - December, but it's still early. The general view is that before Lunar New Year there are still plenty of room types to choose from and prices are still reasonable. Also, if your IELTS is still some way off the direct-entry requirement, you'd better reach the pre-sessional English standard by February - March.

📍 Year two, Apr - Jul (graduating seniors)

Get your IELTS to the direct-entry requirement, and decide as early as possible whether to sign up for pre-sessional English starting in July - August. Apply for your diploma + transcript as soon as you graduate so you can apply for your visa, and only buy flights once you have the visa.

📍 Year two, Apr - Jul (already graduated)

Get your IELTS to the direct-entry requirement, and decide as early as possible whether to sign up for pre-sessional English starting in June - August. Decide early so you can apply for your visa, and only buy flights once you have the visa.

📍 Year two, Aug - Oct

Start packing. Agencies hold online/in-person pre-departure briefings, and there are lots of videos online too. Once your documents and luggage are ready, off you go, happily abroad the end ~

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