Timeline for studying abroad in the UK in 2020 (super detailed!)

1. Determine the school and major (April-May)

Conduct application background assessment, understand and clarify your professional direction, and determine the grade of the school you are applying for.

2. Software and hardware background improvement (May-June)

According to the determined target school level, start from your own hardware and software background, such as improving credits, participating in academic internships, etc. to improve your software background. In addition, according to the relevant study abroad goals, start preparing for the new TOEFL or IELTS, GRE or GMAT exams. Language and postgraduate entrance standardized tests are two big mountains that must be faced when applying for a master’s degree program. English is the key to start preparing for the review of these two types of tests. Check the exam schedule, plan your own exam time, review plan, and if necessary, you can participate in training programs that suit you according to your situation.

3. Document writing development (June-August)

The development of the document is based on the selected major and the determined school. Different schools have specific requirements for the document, so be sure to find out the requirements of each school before starting to prepare. For example, different schools have requirements for the number of words in personal statements, whether there are special requirements for essays, whether research proposals are required, whether architectural design majors need portfolios, etc. After these problems are determined, the writing of the document begins.
 

4. Application submission (September-November)

Some schools open applications in September, but some schools open relatively late. Therefore, we must grasp the personal leave when the school is open to apply. At the same time, some schools have earlier deadlines for certain majors, and these must be planned in advance. It is best to ensure that the application is submitted at the same time. Although the speed of the school’s review varies, try to ensure that the results are issued together. In this way, we can avoid the dilemma that when some results come out, a deposit needs to be paid to occupy the place, but some schools are still waiting for the results.
 

V. Analysis of application results (November-March)

Admission results will be released one after another, generally within 4 to 8 weeks after the application is submitted, and of course some of them exceed this time. After getting the offer, carefully read the requirements on the offer, such as whether there is a deadline for accepting the offer, whether there is a need to pay a seat occupancy fee, the deadline for payment, the deadline for accommodation application, etc.
 

6. Application for language classes (April-June)

Some students’ IELTS cannot meet the requirements of the main course, so they need to consider taking language classes. The market for language classes is based on weeks, divided into four weeks, six weeks, ten weeks, etc. (depending on the setting of a university). Different language classes also have their own language class application requirements, which requires us to apply for the corresponding language class according to our own IELTS level plan. The IELTS test should also be reported in advance in a planned way, especially in the later short-term language classes, it is easier to fill up in advance.

VII. Visa preparation and delivery (April-August)

For students who are studying in language classes, they need to prepare visa materials in advance, including the deposit of guarantee money, physical examination, etc. Guaranteed to have a deposit history of more than one month (tuition fees and living expenses for the courses studied) before the visa is submitted, which also depends on the length of the language class.

Students who study the main course usually hand in their visas in July and August, so it is best to deposit a visa guarantee deposit in May and June. The amount is the tuition fee required on the main course offer plus 9 months of living expenses. Yes (9 months is the most basic requirement for a visa).

It generally takes 15 working days for the results to be issued after the signature is handed over. In special cases, the results can be processed within one week.
 

VIII. Enrollment (September-October)

After the visa is signed, you can buy an air ticket, and you can fly to the UK with the corresponding materials and items.