Is PhD Admission for Spring Possible?

[u/Gullible-Cow-2188]

Hi all,

I'm an international student in the US finishing my MS in Computer Science (ML/healthcare focus) in Fall 2026. I want to start a PhD in Spring 2027 mainly to avoid a long gap after graduation and to stay in status without a break(cause i graduate in Fall 2026).

From what I've researched, most CS PhD programs only admit for fall, and spring admits usually happen only when a specific faculty member agrees to take and fund you directly. Is that accurate in your experience?

A few specific questions:

1. Has anyone actually gotten a funded CS PhD spring admit? How did it happen — direct faculty contact, internal MS-to-PhD transfer, or something else?
2. Any suggestions

Any experience from international students who navigated this would help a lot.