If I take a gap year, so I still have to apply this year

So I’m a senior and I don’t feel ready or prepared to apply for colleges yet, and I don’t feel ready to go to college either. So if I do take a year gap can I apply next year? Or would I still have to apply this year and see if I get accepted and then tell them I’m coming the next year?

You can apply next year.

You can do either. It depends on the college and on your preparation while still in HS.
Do some research first- some top colleges WILL allow you to take a gap year, but many others wont, because they have found that less scrupulous students use a gap year to apply to other colleges.
If you decide to apply next year, you will have to get your LOR’s from teachers and your guidance counselor written and saved THIS year. It will be more difficult to do that next year, when your teachers will be focusing on writing LOR’s for students graduating next year.