btw - you are worried about your freshman grades? Waiting won’t matter - they’ll be seen whenver.
Typically, the earlier deadline you meet, the better. In fact, at UMD, as an example, the acceptance rate for RD is like 3%. For U of SC, after the deadline, it’s space avail, etc.
A school like Miami will either accept, defer, or deny, etc.
Get it in and over - that’s your best bet. Doesn’t mean you’ll get accepted - but it is your best odds.