In the US, most universities use rolling admissions but set specific priority dates for each term. For the Fall term (August/September), students should start researching and preparing applications six to nine months beforehand, ideally by October–December of the prior year. For the Spring term (January), students should aim to finish applications by July–September. Planning ahead allows adequate time for test preparation, document collection, scholarship applications, and visa arrangements. It is vital to check the specific deadlines for each university, since these dates can change.