Which are the upcoming intakes in the UK in 2024?

Are you preparing to apply to universities in the UK for your higher studies? Studying abroad comes with unique opportunities and challenges. You will need to make multiple decisions along the way and one of the first ones is determining when to apply to your dream UK university. The academic year in the UK begins around September. But that is not the only time that you can apply to UK universities. Unlike the Indian educational system where intakes happen only once a year, universities in the UK offer multiple intakes.

Which are the three intakes in the UK?

There are 3 popular intakes in the UK:

1. The September intake
2. The January intake and
3. The May intake.

The September intake or the autumn intake is the most popular for undergraduate courses. For postgraduate courses, the intakes operate on a rolling-year basis.

Let’s understand the specifics of each intake and when the best time to apply is.

Which is the most important intake?

The most popular intake in the UK happens in September/October. It is also called the Autumn intake or the Autumn Term. This is considered to be the major intake in the UK for all the universities. That would also make the competition tougher as the universities receive a large number of applications.

Some of the top-ranking institutions that offer September intakes are:

• The University of Oxford
• The University of Cambridge
• Imperial College London

What is the Spring intake or the January intake?

Spring intake in the UK is during the months of January/February. This is more like a secondary intake and not all courses will be available. You can consider this as an option if you miss the major intake. If you are opting for this intake, take into consideration the UK weather and prepare accordingly.

Some of the institutes that offer intakes in the month of January are: 

• Aberystwyth University
• Birmingham City University
• London School of Economics

What is the May intake or the Summer intake at UK universities?

This is an additional intake offered by very few institutions. It marks the beginning of the summer semester with classes beginning in late April or May. Students who miss the September and January intakes can apply for this May intake. An institution that offers the Summer intake is:

• London School of Economics

Not all courses will be available for the Spring and Summer intakes. Hence, it is always advisable to check with the institutions or speak to our counsellors before making a decision.

When is the application deadline for the UK intakes?

The application deadlines for these intakes will end a couple of months ahead of the intake month. So, make sure you plan to submit your application accordingly. Experts advise that you should plan a year ahead.

*Scroll further to read about Clearing.

How to decide which UK intake to opt for?

Students who miss the September intake can apply for the January intake. Some might argue that the September intake is better than January in terms of the volume of courses offered. However, there are universities that offer good courses for the January intake too.

You can decide on which intake to opt for based on:

• The availability of your preferred course
• The time required to get your documents ready
• Your convenience

If you have missed the September intake in the UK, you can look forward to the January intake since the January intake applications give you additional time to work on your essays and work on your application documents.

What is Clearing?

Couldn’t make it during any of the three intakes? You still have one option left – Clearing. Universities fill in their vacant seats through clearing. If you missed out on a place at your preferred university, you still have the option to apply to other universities and courses at the time of clearing. Clearing happens from July to October. International students are eligible to apply through clearing, provided their original application was made through UCAS (The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

Where to apply?

Figure out which intake is the most convenient for you. Chat with our counsellors regarding application deadlines at different universities in the UK. They will give you the details of universities and courses available for the intakes convenient for you. Pick the best course/university and apply.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2018 by our content writer, Doodle Nandi. We have since revised it to include up-to-date information and ensure its comprehensiveness.

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