This is a question we get asked by international students very often. The reason is that there are definitely some very important differences in the way the school year is structured in America compared to other continents.
Most schools will start the school year towards the end of August. While some schools might start a bit earlier or a bit later, that is the time when a majority of colleges and universities will start with their fall semester. Now, as an international student it is recommended to arrive a few days prior to the official start date of the semester so thatr you can get settled in and so you can get familiar with your new surroundings. There are also some sports where coaches will require you to arrive earlier than other “regular“ students. These sports in general are american football, soccer and volleyball and the main reason for you having to arrive early is that the competitive seasson will start immediately at the beginning of the semester, leaving very little time to get in shape and to hold team practices.
The fall semester ends at the beginning of December just after your final exams and students then have a four week Christmas break. The spring semester then starts the second or third week of January and lasts till beginning of May. There are some additional holidays throughout the school year such as Thanksgiving, fall break and spring break. However, these additional holidays do not automatically mean that you will have a vacation as you might still very much be in season with games to play or mandatory practice to attend.