When to Apply

General Starting Date of Different Courses

Chinese universities usually provide courses starting in autumn or spring. The fall semester normally starts in September while the spring semester in late February. However, most of the English-taught degree courses start in autumn while only a few of them start in spring semester. Check each ‘course details’ for the specific starting date. You need to submit your application at least two months before the course starts and make sure you sent it early as vacancies may be limited.

You can contact admission@sicas.cn for advice of when to apply.

Choice A: Timetable for Fall Semester Intakes

This guidance is for students applying for degree courses or long-term Chinese language courses starting in September.

1. Late February: You can start to apply for courses starting in autumn (usually in September few are in October or November) through SICAS online application system. You application will pass directly to the university. Click to see the application guide.
2. March to May: Universities will process your application through their account on SICAS during this time. Please be aware that early applications are favored for the vacancies are limited. You can also track the process by login your SICAS account.
3. Late May and June: You will receive admission result from the university if your application has been accepted.
4. Late July: Deadline for application of most universities. Please submit your application before the deadline.
5. Early August: If you’ve been accepted by the university. Your school will send you (by post) a document package including: Admission Letter and JW202 form for you to apply for a Chinese visa for studying in China. Click to see how to apply a visa. Please consult admission@sicas.cn if you haven’t received your JW202 form or Admission Letter by the time.
6. September: Starting date for Chinese universities. Make sure you will arrive at your school before the starting date to register in and settle down.
7. After the starting date: As a service provider, SICAS has a broad cooperation with China’s universities. Since we were established on the basis of the invitations and authorizations of China’s universities, they usually give priority to application sent through our platform and offer the fastest admissions to our applicants. You can consult admission@sicas.cn to see if there are still vacancies for certain courses available.

Choice B: Timetable for Spring Semester Intakes

This guidance is for students applying for degree courses or long-term Chinese language courses starting in February or March.

1. Late October: You can start to apply for courses starting in the coming spring (usually in February) through SICAS online system. Your application will pass directly to the university. Click to see the application guide.
2. November to January: Universities will process your application through their account on SICAS during this time. Please be aware that early applications are favored for the vacancies are limited. You can also track the process by login your SICAS account.
3. December: You will receive admission result from the university if your application has been accepted.
4. Late January: Deadline for application of most universities. Please submit your application before the deadline.
5. Early February: If you’ve been accepted by the university. Your school will send you a document package including: Admission Letter and JW202 form for you to apply for a Student visa for studying in China. Click to see how to apply a visa. Please consult admission@sicas.cn if you haven’t received your JW202 form or Admission Letter by the time.
6. Late February to early March: Starting date for Chinese universities. Make sure you will arrive at your school before the starting date to register in and settle down.
8. After the application deadline or starting date: As a service provider, SICAS has a broad cooperation with China’s universities. Since we were established on the basis of the invitations and authorizations of China’s universities, they usually give priority to application sent through our platform and offer the fastest admissions to our applicants.

You can consult admission@sicas.cn to see if there are still vacancies for certain courses available.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for a course in Chinese universities is normally one month before the starting date. Application submitted by the deadline issued is guaranteed to be received and considered by the university.

If you apply after the application deadline or the semester has started?

You can still applied through SICAS online system after the deadline. As a service provider, SICAS has a broad cooperation with China’s universities. Until now, SICAS has been authorized by more than 300 universities and colleges and the number is still growing every day. Since we were established on the basis of the invitations and authorizations of China’s universities, they usually give priority to applications sent through our platform even if the deadline has been passed or the semester has started.

Consult admission@sics.cn to see if there are still vacancies for certain courses available.

Depends on Circumstances

When you check the course details on our website, one term you may notice is ‘Depends on Circumstances’ in the starting date column of some courses’. It refers that the university may offer the course depending on demand or other facts such as faculties and facilities etc. So whether the course will be opened or not and when will it start haven’t been decided yet.
Please contact admission@sicas.cn for further more details about that course if you want to apply for it.

What if I want to defer my enrollment?

If there is a need you want to defer your enrollment in a certain course. You can contact admission@sicas.cn to help you find out whether the deferred entry application is accepted by the university.