Exact dates differ by country and change every year, so this timeline works in seasons. It assumes a course that starts in the autumn. For countries where the academic year begins at another time, such as Australia and New Zealand, shift it accordingly, and always confirm each date on the university’s own page.
Two years before you start
- Work on your grades. In most systems they carry more weight than anything else.
- Try the subject you think you want to study: read, take a course, enter a competition.
- Commit to one or two activities and stay with them.
- Begin keeping a record of what you do. See how to build a college portfolio.
Eighteen months before
- Narrow down the subject and the countries you are considering.
- Find out which tests you will need, and when they can be taken.
- Talk to your family about cost, and look at what funding exists.
The summer before your final year
- Draw up a balanced list of universities.
- Take your tests, or book them.
- Write the first draft of your personal statement.
- Ask your teachers whether they will write your references.
Autumn of your final year
- Finish the written parts and have someone you trust read them.
- Submit applications with early deadlines. Some of the most selective courses close months before the rest.
- Send your test results where they are required.
Winter
- Submit the remaining applications, a few days before each deadline.
- Apply for scholarships and financial aid, which often have their own dates.
- Keep your grades up. Many offers depend on your final results.
Spring
- Compare your offers: the course, the cost, the city.
- Reply by the date each university sets.
- Apply for housing as soon as you accept a place.
Summer
- Send your final results and any documents still outstanding.
- Apply for your visa, if you need one, as early as the rules allow.
- Complete enrolment and plan your arrival.
If you are starting late
Begin with the deadlines that are still open and work backwards. Many good universities accept applications later than the most selective ones, and some have a second intake. A shorter list done properly is better than a long one done in a hurry.
Where Corinia fits
Corinia builds this timeline around your own shortlist, with the real dates taken from each university’s pages, and reminds you before each one. The country guides show how the calendar differs from place to place.