Any hope for low GPAs?

My freshmen GPA is horrible… I mean REALLY horrible like 2.x
I managed to bring the GPA up to 3.2 during my sophomore year and my junior year GPA was 4.4… Considering that I have high SAT SCORE like 2100~2400 and high SAT II scores, good recs, good ec, good essay… Do I have a chance at going to schools like U of Michigan or Notre Dame or NYU etc??

<p>What is your cumulative GPA?</p>

<p>well... a low GPA is a hurdle, but one that can be overcome.</p>

<p>First, what kind of school do you go to? If it's a school where grades are normal where average work gets a C to a C+ instead of hugely inflated grades of an average being a B, your GPA isn't too bad.</p>

<p>Another thing: class rank and courseload. If your GPA is low but class rank very respectable, then you shouldn't worry about it too much, you just have a tougher grading system at your school.</p>

<p>Courseload: If you have like, all APs and no BS classes, it will dampen the blow of a low GPA (but only a little). If you've been able to bring your GPA up through the years, congradulations! Now you should make sure you have a good reason for your low freshman GPA (since colleges might ask you that).</p>

<p>If your class rank is nothing special, then your low GPA will most likely kill you... sorry to be the bearer of bad news. However, it seems you're bringing it up all right, so keep up the good work! Make sure you have a good explanation for the low freshman GPA (as mentioned before).</p>

<p>Colleges like to see upward trends, and combined with your test scores you will have many options, including UMichigan, particularly if you are an in-state resident.</p>

<p>Good news for you - Michigan doesn't look at freshman year grades. They calculate GPA by taking the core classes of sophomore and junior year - but it's unweighted. All depends on your cumulative GPA.</p>

<p>wow Michigan doesn't count freshmen grade..... YAY :)</p>

<p>Maybe you can write an essay how you fell in with the wrong crowd in your freshman year (that was the truth, wasnt it ? or some other compelling reasons), and then found your place and made great progress ? Adcom love this stuff.</p>

<p>How do you get a 4.4?????</p>

<p>Straight A+'s would be a 4.3</p>

<p>Or a 4.0 in many places. It's probably weighted</p>

<p>also, different schools can have different weighting systems...</p>

<p>Princeton doesn't consider freshman year grades either.</p>

<p>5.0 is POSSIBLE</p>

<p>you have a shot at u of michigan. private schools are less yielding, but you have a shot at notre dame if you show you're a hardcore catholic.</p>

<p>"5.0 is POSSIBLE"</p>

<p>Um, no, it's not</p>

<p>WEIGHTED maybe, but that doesn't matter
Top colleges will take your unweighted GPA and weight it based upon their own system</p>

<p>so...it was a 2 out of 5 freshman year? (i assume you did it weighted right...) geez that sucks, straight D's if you had all honors :(
Luckily some schools dont consider freshman year</p>

<p>thank god...and no maximum GPA in my school is 4.4 but APS and Honors get +1.0 on the GPA</p>

<p>the reason my grades went up was because of my grandmother.... I visited her during my summer break and she passed away ..... Last thing she told me was to live happy and successfully.... I realized how retarded I was being wasting my life ... So I got really motivated...</p>