In my Honors Biology class as a freshman (this is a sophomore class at my school) I got an A first semester and a C+ second semester. However, I got a 5 on the AP Biology exam. In my AP Physics 1 class(a senior class) as a sophomore, I got a C+ first semester and a B second semester. In my Honors Chemistry class (a junior class) as a sophomore, I got a B first semester and a C+ second semester. These are all of the Cs on my transcript. As a junior, I’m taking the highest level of Chemistry offered at my school (IB Chemistry HL) and I have a B+ in the class, I may get an A by the end of the semester. I also got a 4 on the AP Physics exam and plan to take General Physics as a dual-enrolled class during the summer at my local community college.
I love these science classes, yet my only Cs are all in them. They are the hardest classes for me, but I still enjoy them. Personally, I have struggled with my sexual and religious identity which led to a lot of conflict at home, and I became extremely depressed as a result of all the pressure. Over the summer, I found support in friends and am now much better off mentally because I stay with them much more often than I spend time at my house. I don’t mean to use this as an excuse because I truly love these classes, and I do believe that if I had never come out to my family, I wouldn’t have struggled so much. Regardless, I still have 3 Cs on my transcript in my freshman/sophomore year, and I do want to apply to schools like NYU, UC Berkley, UChicago, and U of Michigan. Is there any hope for me?
UC Berkeley considers 10-11th grades only in their UC GPA calculation: https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
I would say just based on what you have posted, UCB will be a difficult admit when they have so many excellent students with top grades applying.
At the end of Junior year, calculate your UC GPA and if you are around the 4.0+ range with competitive scores, then it would be worth your time to apply. Until then, keep working hard and do your best.
U Chicago is way too elite, don’t expect entrance. I think you have hope at NYU. I know a girl who got in with 2 Cs. She was artsy though. Michigan, maybe? I need a full academic picture to truly evaluate.