<p>83% is great improvement! I’m sure you’ll have more exams before December, and if you keep your marks in the same range without a significant drop, you’ll boost your chances considerably.</p>
<p>The answer to your question about application months is a little complicated. Many colleges in the US follow a common application, meaning you just need to fill out one application and select which colleges to send it to. The deadline for the common app is around the 31st of December every year. To boost your acceptance chances, you can also apply early in a scheme called early decision where the deadline is the 1st of November. </p>
<p>Even colleges that do not use the common app generally follow the same timelines, meaning that your applications should normally be finished by the middle of January, at the latest. There is another type of admission, called rolling admission, that is followed by a small percentage of colleges, where the deadline for application submission is much later. The colleges consider the applications as they come, so depending on the availability of spots, you might still be able to apply in May or June. But the earlier you apply, the greater your chances.</p>
<p>Regarding AP exams, you can always register for next year’s exams and tell colleges you’re writing them. I’m not sure how much that will work in your favour, though.</p>
<p>As for applying for the next year, you certainly can, but you will have more than a year’s free time on your hands. Students do this sometimes (it’s called a gap year), but they are generally at a disadvantage compared to other students while applying. It isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. If you do decide to take a gap year, you need to do something productive with your time. Most US students get a great internship or do extensive volunteer work in their gap year, so you’ll have to match that if you take one.</p>
<p>While switching schools, did you have lots of trouble adjusting or making new friends that perhaps impacted you? That could have impacted your grades, but if you tell colleges that, they might wonder how badly a transition to college (which is much harder) would affect you. There is no such thing as a ‘proper explanation’; you need to sit down and think about why your marks reduced so drastically. Even if the reason was laziness. Whatever it was, you absolutely have to address it in your application.</p>
<p>And lastly, do not lose hope. If you can pull up your SAT scores, maintain good marks this year, have solid ECs with leadership if possible, and write good essays that tell the admission committees who you are, there is no reason you should not get into a good college. The really good colleges are a stretch for everybody, so give them a shot anyway. But it’s important to be realistic and apply to colleges that accept students like you (yes, many do). Check out the collegeboard’s search engine to see colleges that would be a match based on your scores: <a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board;
