Many students this year are planning to apply to multiple countries/regions to play it safe when studying abroad. However, when they start the application process, they get confused by the varying online application DDL requirements of different universities: this school has N rounds, that school has a Priority deadline — when is the best time to apply?
Don’t worry, today CheersYou（清柚教育） will help you sort out the common online application DDL formats and university review mechanisms across countries, so you can more easily arrange the application progress for each school. For different online application and admission formats, we need to develop different optimal application strategies.
Online Application DDL Formats
1. Single-Round Deadline
A program has only one application deadline, and applicants must submit all application materials before this deadline. Submissions after the deadline will generally not be reviewed.
Some graduate programs at certain universities may also set a Priority Deadline before the single-round DDL. This type of deadline is primarily for applying for scholarships/financial aid or ensuring that your materials are reviewed.
This format is more common at U.S. universities. U.S. graduate applications have their own DDLs for different schools or even for each specific program.
The application DDL for NYU Tandon School of Engineering is February 15, 2021, while the Priority DDL before that was December 1, 2020 — a difference of two and a half months. The website specifically notes that it is recommended for students applying to the Financial Engineering program to submit their application before the Priority DDL.
There is one month left until NYU Tandon’s Priority DDL. Students aiming for NYU Financial Engineering should make good use of this month to finalize their essay polishing and perfect all application materials.
2. Multi-Round Deadline
Schools set multiple rounds of deadlines, and applicants can choose to submit in a certain round based on their own preparation status. After each deadline, a batch of admission decisions will be released. If your hard qualifications meet the requirements, those who apply early will have an advantage and a higher chance of admission.
This DDL format is more common at universities in Hong Kong and Singapore. The master’s programs at NUS Business School have two application rounds:
Some programs with round-based applications will also explicitly state that the last round is not open to international students. Some programs may say international students can also apply in the last round, but to avoid issues like visa processing delays affecting enrollment, most schools will recommend on their website that students apply early.
For example, McGill University’s Management in Finance master’s program has 3 application rounds, but the third round is only for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. International students must complete their application in the second round.
In addition, U.S. business schools and some highly competitive programs also adopt multi-round applications, such as UCLA’s Business Analytics program, which has 3 application rounds.
CheersYou（清柚教育） suggests that if applicants meet all the school’s requirements, they can prioritize submitting in the first round; if their profile does not have a strong competitive edge and they are targeting reach schools, they may consider applying in later rounds.
University Review Mechanisms
After receiving application materials, schools also have two review mechanisms:
1. Unified Review Mechanism
Application review only begins after the DDL date. For example, the earlier mentioned NYU Tandon and NUS Business School only start reviewing materials received in that round after each round’s DDL. In this case, students don’t need to submit their applications too early.
2. Rolling Admission Mechanism
Once an applicant submits their online application, the school starts reviewing materials on a "first come, first served" basis. Applications are added to the review queue in the order they are submitted, and review stops once spots are filled. Due to fierce competition, many university programs may close their application channels early at any time.
This review format is more common at universities in the UK and Canada. McGill University explicitly states on its website that it uses a rolling admission mechanism, with specific DDLs depending on the program. It also recommends international students apply early and not wait until the DDL to submit.
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The UK’s review method is basically all rolling. The concept of "first come, first served" offers is most evident in UK graduate applications. After the online application opens, schools review applications in the order they are submitted and stop when full.
LSE’s applications are highly competitive. Most master’s programs do not set DDLs and admit on a rolling basis; the earlier you apply, the more advantageous.
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Note that while the university website may show that processing has begun when you submit your online application, the school will only officially add you to the review queue after every required material has been submitted.
21 Fall applications are in full swing. CheersYou（清柚教育） suggests that you sort out the DDL format and review mechanism for each program, plan the preparation progress of application materials based on your own situation, and find the optimal solution for a successful application.
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