Let me address that I didn’t do good freshman year and sophomore year isn’t looking so hot either. But I have matured as a person and I want to atleast go to a University/College so can a 3.0+GPA and good SAT and ACT scores get me into a decent D1 school?
Look at the very useful thread in the Parents Forum. “Parents of the HS Class of 2018 3.0-3.4 GPA”. There’s also a similarly-named thread for 2017 that lists the schools students with this range were accepted to and attended.
Showing an upward trend in Junior/ Senior years would certainly help! Try to understand what is keeping your grades down…(motivation and lack of focus? study habits? A learning disability? ) nderstanding that and removing barriers is key.
Though you won’t get into the elites, lots of “decent” colleges know that students with potential mature at different rates. You do need to demonstrate that maturation in concrete ways (improved grades) to convince the schools you are college-ready and college-worthy. Mid-tier instate universities (directionals and some less-competitive flagships) can be ideal for students like you because, while you can be accepted with more mediocre stats, there will be plenty of students with higher stats to keep you company (and challenged) should you rise to the occasion to become a top student in college. These schools are large enough to absorb a wide range of students, and many top students attend these (as opposed to elites) for monetary reasons, to be close to home, or just because they prefer them. If you do better in smaller schools, and individualized attention from professors, there are also many great LACS for “B” students, but they can be very expensive without need-based or merit financial aid. If you tell us what state/region you are in, your financial situation, what you think you will like to study, and what type of schools you think you will prefer, there are lots of people on this site (parents, especially) who will have lots of practical advice.
Good luck and keep trying! Do you know why you are having academic difficulties? Do yo think you have a learning disability, or do you simply need to work on better study habits?