Rental Applications: Rules on Chronological order

[Crystal Hoover]

Hello, this may be a silly question but.. learning curve. I posted my home for rent on zillow and got an application today for a prospective tenant, whom passes all the criteria I laid out. However, I believe I will be receiving another application today from another prospective tenant who likely will also pass the criteria. However, the difference is, the second one can move in earlier. Is there a law/rule about processing tenant applications despite the date of move in availability or am I free to choose the tenant that best fits the timeline of my rental availability even though the first applied sooner? Thanks for the advice!