When is a good time to begin applying?

Chinese school year is divided in two main semesters: September intake (first semester) and March intake (second semester). Most majors open for the Fall semester and for Spring semester there is only language and some postgraduate programs available to apply for.

Regardless of what semester you are interested in, having prior preparation is a smart move to do. Although it depends on each university, application period for Fall intake usually starts as early as December of the previous year and ends by July the latest. For students hoping to be considered for a scholarship offer, be aware that oftenly these applications are the first to close, some even finish by April. For the Spring intake the application season is shorter, going from October of the previous year up until mid January (deadline is usually just before the Chinese New Year Holidays).

UniApply recommends students to begin preparing at least 3 months before the application season opens as many required documents take time to get done. Early applicants also have some advantage as teachers are usually not that busy at the beginning of the application period as they would be later on.