Deadlines and intakes
Undergraduate, Common Application opens 1 August. Early Decision and Early Action typically 1 November; Regular Decision 1-15 January at selective institutions, decisions late March, reply by 1 May. The University of California is different and strict, filing period 1 October to 30 November, no early action, no extensions.
Graduate, funded PhD and competitive master's close 1 December to 15 January, because funding decisions are made in that cycle. Applying later usually means applying without funding. Self-funded taught master's often run to March-June.
Language you need
Typical requirements, set per institution: TOEFL iBT 79-80 at less selective institutions, 90-100 at selective ones, 100+ at the most competitive; IELTS 6.0-6.5 minimum, 7.0-7.5 at competitive institutions; Duolingo typically 105-120. Waivers are common if your prior degree was taught in English.
TOEFL changed scale on 21 January 2026, iBT now reports 1-6 in half-point increments, aligned to CEFR, with a comparable 0-120 score also shown for a two-year transition. Expect programme pages still quoting "TOEFL 90" well into 2027; the dual report covers you.