<p>As an international student, can I start applying to colleges before I finish my senior year?</p>
<p>Oh my, yes! The college application season for internationals is well underway already. If you want to enroll in the US for fall 2011, you should start work on your applications immediately. You have already missed most early decision deadlines, but there is still time to send in early action applications and regular decision deadlines are just around the corner.</p>
<p>Yes!! Not to scare you, but many people are already done with their applications. You definitely don’t want to be waiting for senior year to end because the deadline for most schools are in January. Good luck!</p>
<p>Haha, actually my senior year starts next february, and I’m thinking spring 2012, because my senior year would end in early november. So, would it be ok to apply, say, june or july? It’s just that the whole international student thing gets me kind of confused. Thanks.</p>
<p>There are not a lot of US schools that have spring admissions. All schools have a date when applications become available and a deadline by which all applications have to be in. You should probably start by checking the websites of the schools that interest you to see whether it is a possiblity to matriculate in the spring semester and what their deadlines are.</p>
<p>As an aside, take note of some universities’ “priority” deadlines. These might not be listed on websites such as College Board, but are available on their own respective websites. Many of these institutions, regardless of prestige, have earlier application deadlines (not related to ED or EA) that may better your chance of acceptance, especially for an international applicant.</p>
<p>Just as an example, University of Maryland has a “Priority” application that is due November 1st. It’s non-binding but applicants who submit their applications by that time are considered for honors programs and scholarships. Those who submit them by January 1st, (RD), will not get such benefits. </p>
<p>Similarly, Princeton “recommends” that their applicants submit their applications by December 15th, even though their RD date is January 1st.</p>
<p>Applying is no different for internationals except there may be a required supplement. Deadlines are the same, usually end of December to start the following August/September. It’s rare for a freshmen to start bon the Spring, pretty much impossible at most of the schools commonly discussed here.</p>
<p>Most schools in the US start somewhere between late august to late september. When you are a freshman, they often want you to come a few days to a week earlier. If you are an international, they might want you to start even earlier. </p>
<p>So, if you do not graduate until November, you seem to have too choices - miss the last few months of your senior year, find a school that has mid year starts (only a few) or, apply in 2012.</p>
<p>You seem a bit unprepared at this point. I think your best bet would be finish your last year of school, and plan to start college in Fall of 2012. </p>
<p>What you should be doing now is making a list of the schools you think you are interested in, then go to their websites. Make note of any deadlines, or extra requirements for international students. If you need financial aid, realize that some schools have little money to give internationals, so check that, too, if it is important. </p>
<p>It isnt as difficult as it seems, as long as you spent a little time checking things out.</p>