Hello, sorry this may be a little long. Juust like many other students, I made a mistake in freshman year. I ended that year with a 2.1. But instead of quitting, I decided to work my butt off and try to make a difference. At the end of sophomore year, I had a 3.0. My guidance counselor told me that it wasn’t possible. But with the help of me obtaining straight A’s, passing my exams, and taking additional classes online I was able to make it happen. I ended junior year with a 3.3. I’m still making straight A’s and taking additional classes. So to my belief, there’s a possibility that I can pull a 3.5 after first semester is over. I’m retaking the classes I can retake from freshman year as well.
Over the summer, I have obtained about 200+ volunteer hours. I will continue to volunteer throughout the school year so I’ll have a lot. I have yet to take the SAT. I took the ACT for the first time and got an 16. I didn’t prepare for it. So plan on taking the SAT in October.
Will my mistake hurt my chances? I really want to get into USF. I’m very interested in their Public Health program.
Thanks for reading
Hi,
You’re doing great, keep up the good work! 
Please take a look at this “2014 State University System (SUS) Matrix”. It will list, for all 12 Florida public universities (including USF) the mid range GPA and SAT of accepted students. Note that they are using “weighted” GPA, so you may need to calculate your weighted GPA.
At USF (and the other schools), you’ll also notice that it’s easier to be accepted for Summer B, vs. the more competitive Fall Term.
For USF:
Mid Range GPA:
3.38 (Summer) and 3.71-4.33 (Fall)
Mid Range SAT:
M: 520-590 (Summer) 560-660 (Fall)
R: 520-580 (Summer) 550-640 (Fall)
W: 500-560 (Summer) 540-630 (Fall)
Study for the SAT and plan on taking it at least twice. USF will superscore your test score (using the highest M/R/W section from each test you take). Think about applying for Summer B.
Good Luck!!
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&sqi=2&ved=0CEMQFjAGahUKEwjHisOLoYXHAhUJaz4KHdLxCHk&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fjwmhs%2F2013%2F12%2FSUS-Matrix_2014_1-page.pdf&ei=Alu7VceBFonW-QHS46PIBw&usg=AFQjCNHUiSrxVcz6nTCe9OaCFAW88hwd_A&sig2=tiVvTPL1vdihUApV8IL6AQ&bvm=bv.99261572,d.dmo