Start from the intake, then count backwards
Every plan we build starts at the end: the intake you want to join. From there we count backwards through the visa, the offer, the application, the English test and the documents. Do it in that order and the deadlines stop competing with each other.
For a September intake in the UK, that means beginning the previous autumn. For February in Australia, the spring before. Twelve months is comfortable; eighteen is better if you also need a scholarship.
What actually takes the time
- English test — booking, preparing and, if needed, retaking: 2–4 months
- Documents — transcripts, references, financials: 3–6 weeks, longer if a university is slow to issue them
- Applications and offers — weeks to months, depending on the institution
- Visa — varies by country and season; peak months are slower
Where students lose time
Almost always in one of two places: waiting on a transcript or reference from a previous institution, or retaking an English test after missing a band by half a point. Both are avoidable if you start the paperwork before you think you need to.
The other quiet deadline is funding. Scholarship rounds often close months before course applications do, so a student who applies "on time" for the course can still be too late for the money.
Rules and figures change. We check every detail against the current published source for your destination before you act on it — if anything here matters to your plan, ask us and we will confirm it.
