Should I apply early or not?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I am an Indian studying in the CBSE syllabus. I am currently in the 11th grade preparing for my final exams.

At first I thought I would get 90%+ this year but then I didn’t study regularly as I was concentrating on App Development which was a big mistake which I regret deeply now. So now I am expecting around 80-85%. So now my only chance is to perform very well in 12th.

At first I was planning on applying early to Stanford and regular to others, but my half yearly exam happens only in mid-November and I am confident I can perform well in it. My friends told me to start applying by August as they believe it would increase my chances of getting accepted. So I am in a dilemma whether to apply early or not.

Here are my other stats:

9th grade - CGPA - 9.4/10
10th grade - CGPA - 9.8/10
11th grade (full year) - Expecting 80-85%
11th grade (final exam) - Expecting 85-90%
12th grade - Expecting 95%+

SAT 2 - 2400 (Math, Chem and Physics)
SAT 1 - 2250
AP Computer Science - 5

EC’s are excellent

So should I apply early to the colleges without my 12th half yearly marks or apply in October without my 12th half yearly marks? (Unless there is a way of sending my 12th half yearly marks later separately which would be so helpful)
Here are the colleges I am going to apply to:

  1. Stanford
  2. MIT
  3. UCB
  4. Columbia
  5. Purdue
  6. Georgia Tech
  7. Caltech
  8. Harvard

Thanks in advance for all the replies.

2

A few points.

  1. Those grades in 9th and 10th grade look very good
  2. If you get 85-90% this year, that could be a problem. Colleges look for you to maintain a high level, with an upwards trend if possible. If you had something around 95%, you'd be fine, but a decline in grades this year will be a real issue.
  3. SAT I is a bit low for Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, and Columbia. Even so, you're in the running.
  4. One of the biggest factors in your application will be extracurricular activities. Grades are only 60-65% of the equation. Most good schools have plenty of applicants with strong academics, and the ones who get in will be those students who also have very strong extracurriculars. Do you have any leadership roles in clubs? Sports where you play at a high level? Other activities that you're very committed to?
  5. Applying in August doesn't make any difference at all. Schools review all the applications they've received when their early action deadline passes, and not before. If you apply too early, there may be 1-2 things you achieve between August and early November (the deadline for EA) that would've helped your application, and sending off your application before you can add these things in will only hurt you. Don't believe everything your friends say-they aren't guidance counselors, and probably haven't done too much research on the application process.
3

So will my 11th grade percentage hurt my chances ? Many people go down in 11th in CBSE as it is very tough. I presume they know that.
And my ECs are great. I have all that you had mentioned and more.
So should I apply in November with my 12th marks which will be more that 95% or should I apply early only with my 11th marks?