<p>I’m going to disagree with everyone here. ( I don’t disagree with barr–gpa alone is pretty meaningless.) You still have a chance. Pour it all on and get straight As if at all possible. If you can simultaneously improve your ECs, that would be even better. </p>
<p>You might also want to take the SATs and a bunch of SAT II tests, plus if at all possible take and do well on APs. Then write the best essays you can.</p>
<p>If UChicago is your dream, apply early action.Can I guarantee you’ll get into UChicago? No. However, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility.</p>
<p>Some top colleges don’t count 9th grade grades. That list used to include Stanford and UMichigan-AA; I don’t know if that’s still the case. Almost all colleges pay close attention to an improvement in grades.</p>
<p>In any event, you’ll have better options if you do your best from here on out.</p>