Chances? Low GPA, Full IB Student

<p>GPA: 2.9 :(
I'm a junior going into senior year, with a upward trend.
This year I got an average gpa of about 3.3 but sophomore year really killed it for me though (average of 2.7)</p>

<p>SAT: 1950, I plan on retaking it (What score do you think I should get to compensate for my GPA?)</p>

<p>Extra-curricular
-Play tennis, piano lessons
-I will get over 60 hours of community service over summer, without the 50 required for CAS (How many hours of community service would you recommend doing at least?)
-I've set myself to go on a diet and have been training a lot.
-Passion for computers and programming; I have designed and created many websites and programs</p>

<p>I know I'm not the best student there is, but I've tried to make it better in the end, and I'm aiming pretty high considering UW is a very good school. What do you think my chances are?</p>

<p>i gotta say i don’t think ur chances are very high, i would put a lot of effort into the essay (have it reviewed by teachers/parents, other students)</p>

<p>there is a section in the admissions essay that says to list hardships explaining why ur grades weren’t very good at a certain point and time, so that is definitely an important part of ur essay, and it is also good that u r improving</p>

<p>i can’t say what SAT score u should aim at, i’m surprised that u have a higher SAT score than me (i got a 1740 first and only try) and i had a much higher gpa, i think it’s important to explain why you got the grades u did sophmore year (because you are obviously smart, make sure they don’t think you got lazy)</p>

<p>apply to several schools just in case, good luck, try to make yourself stand out with the essay, i think that will be your savior</p>

<p>^
Agreed. UW values GPA, class rigor, and the essays the most. Your GPA isn’t very high, but your class rigor (Full IB) is very good. Now if you nail the essays, that is 2/3, which will increase your chances of getting in. So over the summer, focus on writing great essays and increasing your SAT. To be honest, you should get as high as you can on the SAT in an attempt to compensate for the low GPA - like 2100+ if that is possible for you. Good luck.</p>