College Intakes

What is Study Abroad Intakes?

Study abroad intakes is what is also called admissions or entrances. Contrary to the Sri Lankan education system which follows a single intake system, educational institutions abroad follow multiple intakes in a single academic year. You can choose which intake you prefer to apply to.

If you miss one intake for a specific reason, you can always apply for the next intake instead of waiting one whole year. This intake system is available for universities in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the UK and US.

What Are the Different Types of Intakes?

There are 2 major intakes that are Fall and Winter. Several institutions also offer a third minor intake in the Summer months between May and July.

A detailed comparative guide to the different intakes offered:

Factors	Fall Intake (Primary)	Winter Intake (Secondary)
Intake Starts In	September	January
Intake Ends In	December	April
Availability	Majorly available for all courses in all universities.	May or may not be available depending on the universities, colleges and courses.
Acceptance Rate	Most candidates prefer Fall intake. Class sizes will also be larger. Hence you will face a lot of competition to get through the entrance tests, making the acceptance rate LOW.	As only a few candidates prefer Winter intake, you will face less competition through the entrance tests, making the acceptance rate HIGH.
Be Ready with Your Results By (Results of IELTS and other entrance tests)	NOVEMBER. Start your application process at least 10-12 months before September. Ensure you have given your tests and have your results ready by November.	FEBRUARY. Start your application process at least 10-12 months before January. Ensure you have given your tests and have your results ready by February.
Application Deadline	End of March	End of June
Employment Advantages (Recruitment processes will begin in 2nd year of study)	A Fall intake student will have finished 3 semesters of the study period by the time recruitment starts. Therefore, these students will have more knowledge and experience.	A Winter intake student will have finished 2 semesters of the study period by the time recruitment starts. Therefore, these students will have lesser experience than Fall intake students.

Factors to Consider While Choosing Your Intake:

Availability of your preferred course
Visa application timeline
Your academic records
Your entrance test scores
Acceptance rates
Employment opportunities
On-campus internships/Campus jobs
Your preparedness
Financial Aid
Personal Commitments

Additional Points to Note:

Students choosing research-based courses prefer Fall intake as it is the official start of an academic year. Thus, it will also be the begin of many research projects.
Not all universities and colleges offer all intakes for all courses. Some courses/programs may have only a single intake whereas the same program may have multiple intakes in a different university.