Applying for Summer term (March 2016)

[Smith92]

Can someone please tell me if its a good idea to apply for the Summer term? Yes/No I would like to know the pros and cons of applying.

[fuzzylogician]

That's such a broad question. Some things you might consider are: admissions chances, funding, whether courses would be taught at times that suit you. It's really impossible to say anything more, as whether these are potential issues would depend on the degree and schools you'd be applying for. What in particular are you worried about? Most schools accept students only/mostly for Fall admissions, but if you find programs that admit students (with funding) at other times, then what's the problem? 

[alejandromolina]

I applied and was accepted for the Summer term. I got a Research Assistantship, and an important part of the ongoing research happened on the summer, so I had to be at the University for that. Before applying for a summer term:

*Will you apply for a specific project? (this was my case). If this is the case, ask your prospective adviser.

If this is not the case, check if the program has summer admissions, and if courses are usually offered in the summer. If it's not the case, just apply for the fall semester. 

It would be interesting to know why you want to start in the Summer semester.

[TakeruK]

This is a kind of vague question and I actually do not know of any program in my field that formally accepts students for Summer term. Most programs only admit in Fall term but a few will consider winter or spring admission. It's also a little strange to have Summer admission because summer is so close to fall and not a lot of academic things happen in the summer so there's almost no difference (and see below).

However, most programs in my field are also very flexible in the sense that you can defer start dates or start early. For example, although my program only admit students for Fall term, we have had students start as early as June or as late as January. 

In my program (and most other programs in my field), new Fall students are usually given the option of starting early in the summer. This option almost always comes with funding and insurance and all of the benefits of being a student. The main limitation on whether or not this option exists is whether or not there is a professor willing to pay you as an RA in the summer prior to school starting (since few programs have TAships in the summer). 

I would say about 40% to 50% of new students in my program start at least 1 month before the official start date of my program (usually starting by mid July is common). The students that choose this tend to (but not always) be students who are not directly out of undergrad and have been working since graduation. Usually students directly out of undergrad (wisely) choose to take some time off! 

So, why is it that you are looking for a summer admission specifically? Do you just want to get an early start / are you already graduated and anxious to start grad school? If so, then you don't have to look for programs that explicitly and specifically admit for Summer term. Instead, when you apply to programs with Fall term start dates, ask them if you can start early if accepted. In my field, this would generally be yes but I don't know what kind of programs you're applying to!