I study the IGCSE board
Yes.
Colleges do understand that people screw up sometimes. If your 9th-grade marks are low but 10th 11th and 12th marks show significant improvement, they will surely understand.
Yes, all schools want to see an upward trend in grades. So if you struggled freshman year and improved for the next three years, they might actually view that positively!
To keep this community safe and supportive:
Thank you!