Semester Grades

How does it look if my GPA has improved from freshman to sophomore year, but 1st semester is always higher than 2nde semester?
Is there a way to make up for the drop from 1st to 2nd by standardized test scores, etc.?

First, I’d ask your guidance counselor what even shows up on the transcript sent to colleges – our HS only sends the final grades. In any even I expect most admissions officers will focus on the final grades.

(I edited the title of the post to make it more descriptive)