When is it appropriate to do research

due to schedule conflicts, I wont be able to do research until the summer before senior year, continuing into the rest of senior year. Do you think that colleges would care if I start the summer before senior year as opposed to junior year? i mean, there’s no difference, I would have a bulk of my research completed before college apps.
Thanks!

Colleges would not care. What matters is the quality of your research, and the role that you play within your research group.