Hey everyone, so in my school our GPA scale is 0 - 4.5, where an AP or Honors class earns you an extra point, for example a B in an honors class is a 4.0 while in a regular course it would be a 3.0.
So my academic performance this year, which happens to be my junior, was rather poor. In actuality, my decline in end of year grades was caused by a significant drop in performance during the second semester. This was due to a period of severe depression and utter stupidity. I have always had depression but it was particularly bad during this period, needless to say, excuses are inexcusable. So my final GPA, (using my school’s standard), is a 3.69. Granted my course load was quite demanding. I have a 32 on the ACT, a product of not studying due to the same reasons as my decrease in academic performance, and not so excellent extracurricular activities, with the exception of Tennis, in which I am nationally ranked and recruited by some schools. (I was on varsity all four years and captain). So here is my Transcript.
Freshmen:
Italian 1: B
Earth Science: B+
Honors Bio: B
Geometry: B
English 1 (semester): B
English 2 (semester): B
Global History: B+
Band: B
Italian 2: B+
Health (semester): B+
Sophomore:
Honors Italian 3: A+
Honors Math 10: B
AP Euro: B+
Honors Chemistry: B
Music Theory: A
Psychology (semester): A+
AP Comp Sci: B+
English Composition (semester): A+
Honors English (semester): A
Junior:
Honors Italian 4: C+
AP Calculus BC: C+
AP Physics C: C+
AP Chemistry: C+
Comparative World Lit (semester): A
American Lit: D
APUSH: C+
What are my chances at schools like RPI, Binghampton, Trinity, and Stony Brook? If I write a really solid essay can it help make up for my piss poor performance across the board? Any extra thoughts would be greatly appreciated 
I don’t want to kick you when you are already down, but the four schools you listed, while not being the most selective do have admission rates between 30-45%, meaning they are selective. Having A’s and B’s probably would not have hurt you too badly as these schools (except possibly Trinity, which has the lowest acceptance rate), but the downward trend in junior year is likely going to concern admissions officers. However, this by no means that you can’t go to college- I would even say apply to these places, and explain the situation (without making any excuses). But please be realistic, and look for more colleges that have higher acceptance rates/lower gpas of admitted students (check the Common Data Set for this). You may also want to look at schools that focus more heavily on qualitative stuff (like extracurriculars) than numbers.
Some suggestions for colleges can be found at this link http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/highest-acceptance-rate, which gives colleges with the highest acceptance rates. Looking there can provide you with some schools that you can still have a great shot at getting in even with the low grades junior year.
I don’t want to be too critical of you. Frankly, stuff happens- I understand that just as much as anyone. I tried to be honest in order to help you, but I want to emphasize that you should not let this process define you. You are so much more than the letters on your transcript or your test scores. It is clear from your extracurriculars that you are a kind, involved, passionate person, and in life that matters far more than where you go to college. Do not lose hope, and do not let one bad period in your life convince you that you are not capable of greatness. (Sorry for the motivational speech lol I’m a peer counselor I tend to do those).
Thank You! Kind but honest words.