<p>I'm going to apply to some MS programs soon, not very soon but its coming up.
I'm trying to decide whether to apply for a program that starts during spring, or during fall.
Do you guys know if most colleges accept new MS students for spring quarter, or most of them want you to start during fall?</p>
<p>Also, depending on your answer to the first question, are my chances of being accepted higher if I apply for fall (larger applicant pool), or for spring?</p>
<p>For graduate school I'm going to apply mainly for public schools, my field is electrical or computer engineering.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I don’t know about engineering grad schools, but I know that merit based aid is usually more readily available for students entering during the fall. That’s why I’m holding off til fall 2010, even though I’d love to get out tomorrow if I could! Good luck!</p>
<p>I’m not certain about the specifics of eng schools, but my understanding is also that it’s much easier for students to get funding by enrolling in the fall. Because those funding deadlines (that have a lot to do with just…the bureaucracy involved and paperwork and institutional schedules and such) are usually set for early spring. </p>
<p>So, for example…if someone wanted to apply for fall 2009 (this fall) they would have needed to submit an application sometime between probably december-march of this year, and then the committes make funding decisions and let everyone know by april and paperwork is filed and that person gets funded for the fall.</p>
<p>To start in the spring is to come into the middle of that…you would need probably a professor with extra grant money available who could fund you starting in the spring.</p>
<p>BUT if funding is no problem…money is no object…I think your chances are great for acceptance either in the fall or the spring. If you’re willing to pay for your tuition, schools will be more likely to let you in b/c they don’t have to worry about all that planning with their financials.</p>
<p>Well my gpa is 3.2 and i have a lot of research/work experience but thats not all gonna offset my gpa…i’m not gonna get funding anyway so I guess it doesn’t really matter when I apply.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>