Good question! I would say that, no, applications do not need to be received as far in advance as the US. I would say, however, that the quality of university options is very sketchy by American standards. Many higher ed institutions are trying to get their accreditation. I would venture a guess that the American University of Sharjah is her best bet for transferable credits. There are, however, many unis opening up in Dubai's Academic City, and a couple of those universities might be worth looking into. Is she planning to do a 4 year programme in the UAE? Qatar has done a better job of this than the UAE (canegie melon and Texas A&M come to mind...U of Michigan, too, I think).