Best intake season in Canada for international students

One of the biggest dilemmas faced by international students who wish to study in Canada is choosing between the winter intake, fall intake, and the spring intake in Canada to start their overseas education. Most of them need guidance in understanding the best intake season in Canada for international students.

There are various factors that can help you decide whether to choose the winter intake, fall intake, or the spring intake in Canada. This article will provide you with in-depth details and a comparison between these intakes which will help you select your intake semester based on your preferences.

Students are accepted in Canadian universities in different Intakes or semesters because students from all over the world apply for admission and it is virtually impossible to accommodate so many students in just one single intake thus creating the need for more intakes.

But intake is suitable for you? What is the best intake season in Canada for international students? Let’s find more about intake in Canada in this study abroad article.

What are the types of intakes in Canada for international students

There are “three types of major intakes available for international students” who wish to study in Canada.

1. Spring / May intake
2. Fall / September intake
3. Winter/January intake

Spring/May intake in Canada for international students: 

 This intake starts in the month of May and ends in the month of September. This intake is least preferred by the students and is not a primary intake as very few colleges and universities in Canada offer courses in the spring intake.

9 steps to study in spring intake in Canada 2024:

1. Research and shortlist colleges:

Before applying for admission in any Canadian college or University, you should do a thorough research on the institutions and the courses they provide and make a list of institutions you are interested in. After making the list, you should shortlist it based on which institution will suit your interest, academic goals and future career.

2. Start preparing as soon as possible: 

As most colleges and universities in Canada start accepting applications early and the admissions are provided on a first come, first serve basis, you should start your application process as soon as possible in order to apply when the admissions for the spring intake starts.

August 2023 to September 2023

3. Undertaking the exams required for immigration:

You should start preparing and give exams such as GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, and IELTS based on the course and university you wish to enroll in. You should start the preparations for the necessary exam at least 3 months before undertaking them in order to score better marks.

October 2023 to December 2023

4. Start applying:

Once you’ve shortlisted the colleges you wish to enroll in and have prepared your final application which consists of all the required documents with a Statement of Purpose (SOP), you should start applying to those colleges as soon as the admissions open.

December 2023 to January 2024

5. Accept or decline the Acceptance letter:

Once you’ve applied for admission and you’re deemed fit for the admission in a certain college, the college will send you an acceptance letter through an e-mail which you must choose to accept or decline as soon as possible.

6. Give the interview:

Some colleges require you to appear for an interview before they accept your application, personally or electronically. You must give the interview and make sure you perform well in it.

January 2024 to February 2024

7. Apply for your visa:

Once you receive an offer letter from a Canadian institution, you should hastily apply for your student visa as the processing of student visa applications generally takes time.

8. Prepare for your life in Canada:

After you receive your study visa and are all set to go to Canada, you must prepare for life there beforehand by finalizing your accommodation and mode of transit among other necessary items.

 March 2024 to April 2024

9. Book your tickets:

Once you’re ready to fly to Canada, you must book your air tickets and should depart at least one month before your academic session begins in order to get accustomed to life in Canada.

Fall/September intake in Canada for international students:

This fall intake starts in the month of September and ends in the month of January. This is one of the major intakes in Canada which is widely popular among international students as a large number of seats are available for students. Canadian colleges and universities offer all of the courses in this intake.

9 steps to study in fall intake in Canada 2023:

1. Research and shortlist colleges:

Before applying for admission in any Canadian college or University, you should do a thorough research on the institutions and the courses they provide and make a list of institutions you are interested in. After making the list, you should shortlist it based on which institution will suit your interest, academic goals and future career.

April 2022 to September 2022

2. Start preparing as soon as possible: 

As most colleges and universities in Canada start accepting applications early and the admissions are provided on a first come, first serve basis, you should start your application process as soon as possible in order to apply when the admissions for the fall intake starts.

 June 2022 to December 2022

3. Undertaking the exams required for immigration:

You should start preparing and give exams such as GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, and IELTS based on the course and university you wish to enroll in. You should start the preparations for the necessary exam at least 3 months before undertaking them in order to score better marks.

August 2022 to October 2022

4. Start applying:

Once you’ve shortlisted the colleges you wish to enroll in and have prepared your final application which consists of all the required documents with a Statement of Purpose (SOP), you should start applying to those colleges as soon as the admissions open.

5. Accept or decline the Acceptance letter:

Once you’ve applied for admission and you’re deemed fit for the admission in a certain college, the college will send you an acceptance letter through an e-mail which you must choose to accept or decline as soon as possible.

November 2022 to April 2023

6. Give the interview:

Some colleges require you to appear for an interview before they accept your application, personally or electronically. You must give the interview and make sure you perform well in it.

May 2023 to July 2023

7. Apply for your visa:

Once you receive an offer letter from a Canadian institution, you should hastily apply for your student visa as the processing of student visa applications generally takes time.

8. Prepare for your life in Canada:

After you receive your study visa and are all set to go to Canada, you must prepare for life there beforehand by finalizing your accommodation and mode of transit among other necessary items.

July 2023 to August 2023

9. Book your tickets:

Once you’re ready to fly to Canada, you must book your air tickets and should depart at least one month before your academic session begins in order to get accustomed to life in Canada.

Winter/January intake in Canada for international students: 

This winter intake starts in the month of January and ends in the month of May. This is an intake that is opted for by many students who miss the fall intake. Winter intake is not as popular when compared to the fall intake as the number of seats available in this intake is less compared to the fall intake. Also, most of the courses are offered in this intake by Canadian colleges and universities.

9 steps to study in winter intake in Canada 2024:

1. Research and shortlist colleges:

Before applying for admission in any Canadian college or University, you should do a thorough research on the institutions and the courses they provide and make a list of institutions you are interested in. After making the list, you should shortlist it based on which institution will suit your interest, academic goals and future career.

2. Start preparing as soon as possible: 

As most colleges and universities in Canada start accepting applications early and the admissions are provided on a first come, first serve basis, you should start your application process as soon as possible in order to apply when the admissions for the winter intake starts.

 July 2023 to August 2023

3. Undertaking the exams required for immigration:

You should start preparing and give exams such as GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, and IELTS based on the course and university you wish to enroll in. You should start the preparations for the necessary exam at least 3 months before undertaking them in order to score better marks.

August 2023 to September 2023

4. Start applying:

Once you’ve shortlisted the colleges you wish to enroll in and have prepared your final application which consists of all the required documents with a Statement of Purpose (SOP), you should start applying to those colleges as soon as the admissions open.

September 2023 to October 2023

5. Accept or decline the Acceptance letter:

Once you’ve applied for admission and you’re deemed fit for the admission in a certain college, the college will send you an acceptance letter through an e-mail which you must choose to accept or decline as soon as possible.

6. Give the interview:

Some colleges require you to appear for an interview before they accept your application, personally or electronically. You must give the interview and make sure you perform well in it.

October 2023 to November 2023

7. Apply for your visa:

Once you receive an offer letter from a Canadian institution, you should hastily apply for your student visa as the processing of student visa applications generally takes time.

8. Prepare for your life in Canada:

After you receive your study visa and are all set to go to Canada, you must prepare for life there beforehand by finalizing your accommodation and mode of transit among other necessary items.

November 2023 to December 2023

9. Book your tickets:

Once you’re ready to fly to Canada, you must book your air tickets and should depart at least one month before your academic session begins in order to get accustomed to life in Canada.

Also Read: Upcoming intakes in Canada by IDP

Deadlines for applying for intakes in Canada:

While applying for admission in Canada, one must keep in mind the deadlines for each intake.

Intake	Deadline
Fall Intake in Canada	December to March
Winter intake in Canada	September to November
Spring Intake in Canada	February

• Deadline for fall intake in Canada: The deadline for application in this intake falls between the months of December and March. However, it can vary from institute to institute.
• Deadline for winter intake in Canada: The deadline for application in this intake falls between the months of September and November. However, it can vary from institute to institute.
• Deadline for spring intake in Canada: The deadline for application in this intake generally falls in the month of February. However, it can vary from institute to institute.

Comparison between spring, winter, and fall intakes in Canada for Indian students:

Various factors can help you decide which intake ticks all the boxes and suits your preferences. Factors such as availability of seats in universities, the acceptance rate in universities, job opportunities, availability of courses, and the availability of internship opportunities differ in each intake and should be considered before selecting and applying in a certain intake.

There are few factors that make few intakes the best intake season in Canada for international students. Now we will look in-depth at the factors which you should consider before applying.  

Comparison between intakes based on university:

Students who want to study in Canada must find out for which intakes is the university of their choice open for admission. Most universities are open for admission in fall and winter intake whereas very few universities offer admission in the spring intake.

You should thoroughly research the admission openings in their preferred intake even before applying for exams such as IELTS, GMAT, and TOEFL as these exam results have an expiry date after which you have to give the exam again. 

Top Universities accepting applications for winter intake 2024 in Canada 

University of Toronto

University of British Columbia

3. McGill University

4. McMaster University

5. University of Montreal

Top Universities accepting applications for spring intake 2024 in Canada 

Rutgers University 

York University

University of Waterloo

Top Universities accepting applications for fall intake 2023 in Canada 

University of Toronto

University of British Columbia

McGill University

McMaster University

University of Montreal

Comparison between intakes based on acceptance rate:

Every learning institute in Canada has an allocated quota for admission. The highest acceptance rate is found to be in the fall intake followed by the winter intake where the chances of candidates getting offered admission are very high. The lowest acceptance rate is in the spring intake in which the chances of a candidate being offered admission is very low.

Comparison between intakes based on job opportunities: 

In most universities, Job fairs and on-campus recruitments take place during the second year, this means that if a student has started their education in the fall intake, by the second year they would have completed 3 semesters whereas if a student has started their education in the winter intake, they would have completed 2 semesters.

The extra semester gives the students who started their education in the fall intake an edge as it improves their chances of landing a job. 

Comparison between intakes based on the availability of courses:

Most institutes offer all of their courses in the fall semester. In the winter semester, more than 80% of courses offered by institutes are available whereas very few courses are offered by institutes in the spring intake.

Comparison between intakes based on the availability of internship opportunities:

As in most universities, the new academic year begins in the fall semester, students who start their education in the fall intake have the best chances of getting an on-campus job or internship this is due to the fact that most research and teaching assistant internships are offered by teachers when the new academic year begins.

Conclusion: 

“It is advised to the international students to select the fall intake to start their education in Canada as it has various advantages.” Nevertheless, choosing the appropriate intake to start their education entirely depends on the individual’s preferences and one should thoroughly research and select the intake which will help them in their future education and career plans. 

FAQs: 

1. How many intakes are in Canada?

There are three intakes in Canada: September/Fall intake, January/Winter intake, and May/Summer intake. Canadian universities accept applications in one of these intakes. While applying for admissions students need to check the upcoming intakes in Canada.

2. Which intake is the largest in Canada?

A. The September/fall intake has the largest availability of seats and is considered as the largest intake in Canada.  You can read more about intakes in Canada here.

3. What is the deadline for January/winter intake 2024?

A. Deadline for application in this intake falls between the months of September and November. However, it can vary from institute to institute.

4. Which intake is usually preferred by Indians who immigrate to Canada to study?

A. The September/fall intake is the most preferred intake by Indians who immigrate to Canada to study.

5. What are the chances of getting accepted in the spring intake?

A. Getting acceptance in May/spring intake is quite difficult as very few seats are available and very few universities offer admission. The chances of getting admission in the spring intake are quite low but if the candidate has exceptional academic qualifications, the chances of getting admission increase significantly.