I screwed up my freshman and sophomore years, what are my chances..?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello! I am currently a junior and I am very very scared! I’m also very sorry if I posted this in the wrong discussion… (TL;DR at the bottom)

Like the title says, I royally messed up my first two years of high school and I am terrified that it spells The End for me. Will I be able to go to a ‘good’ school with my stats? I really don’t know what I should do and I would really really appreciate any advice.

My freshman year, I got an unweighted 3.67 and a weighted 3.97 GPA (I’m using https://gpacalculator.net/high-school-gpa-calculator/). My sophomore year, I got a whopping 3.40 unweighted and a 3.70 weighted. In both these GPAs, I’ve removed my P.E. class because I read that colleges don’t really consider it (though what it counts for, I got an A in both years). I don’t have any frame of reference beyond stories of “Oh, did you hear about So-And-So’s kid who got So-And-So GPA…” because my only older sibling chose to go to art school. I’m not sure about how bad my situation is, but I’m fairly certain I’m not doing hot. In my junior year (now), I am taking 3 AP classes and 1 Honors class (the rest are regular). In freshman year and junior year, I had 3H/0AP and 3H/1AP classes respectively. In sophomore year in particular, I experienced some family and mental health problems, which I think is a partial explanation for the drop in grades. However, it’s by no means an excuse, and at the end of the day, my grades are how they are because of myself.
I also took my first SAT this year (08/25/2018) and I received a score of 1510 and an essay score of 6-6-7. I thought my score was alright, but I’m planning on taking it again both because of my score and the Chinese website ‘scandal’…

In regards to post-high-school: I’m interested in the medical field (particularly psychology) so I’m trying to find a school with a strong psychology program (?) but I have no idea how to begin. I don’t really have a ‘dream school’, but I’m very interested in NYU because of their recent announcement regarding waiving their medical students’ tuitions. It would be a dream to be able to go to New York, but I’m completely open to any schools that may best suit me. I’m sorry to say, but perhaps due to the way I was grew up, my academic dreams have gravitated to prestigious schools just for the sake of prestige… I’m still working on breaking this mindset. Overall, I suppose what I’m trying to say is: can I get into a ‘good’ school? What schools are most within my reach/best for me?

I’m really sorry for my wonky transitions but I’m just not sure how to make this post flow. At the end of it all, I’m just very very scared. I don’t know if my academic career with ever amount to anything and I’m just praying that I still have a chance to save myself.

TL;DR: With unweighted/weighted GPAs of 3.67/3.97 and 3.40/3.70 in freshman and sophomore years respectively, what are my chances of getting into a ‘good’ school? Can I salvage my high school career? What colleges would be best for me?

If you would like me to clarify/specify on anything, please let me know. I’d be incredibly grateful if anyone could give me some advice. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day!

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First of all, stop worrying. Your grades are fine for hundreds of fantastic colleges. There are many threads here for students with 3.0-3.5 GPA. Take a look at some from previous years. Here is one thread to get you started: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1951765-parents-of-the-hs-class-of-2018-3-0-to-3-4-gpa-p1.html

Don’t get hung up on prestige or ranking. Those things are not what make a college great. These boards are full of stories of students from less “prestigious” schools having tremendous success in all fields. If you are serious about medicine, it really makes very little difference what college you attend as long as you get top grades, manage the tremendous number of extra curriculars you will need and get a top score on the MCAT. In other words, your high school grades are fine and won’t stop you from achieving your dreams, but you will need to learn how to do better in college.

This board can be tremendously helpful in suggesting schools to consider. One of my daughter’s top choices is a school we had never heard of until someone here suggested it. You can start a thread in the college search forum. Let us know something about you – what you are looking for in a school (big, small, urban, rural etc.), your intended major, financial considerations, GPA and test scores and anything else you think would be helpful.

Above all, don’t panic. There is a college for you out there.

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Typically, going to a particular school for undergrad doesn’t advantage you for the same university’s med school. Regarding NYU in particular, if limiting costs is what appeals to you, then it’s probably the last place you should consider for undergrad, as it’s very expensive and gives very limited aid. You can study psychology/premed practically anywhere, so start with other factors - especially financial ones. Will you qualify for need-based financial aid? Do you have good public options in your state or neighboring states through reciprocity programs? Start by finding some schools you like, that you would be able to get into and afford with your current stats, to put your mind at ease that you will have options. Then, work on finding your groove and showing an improving trend. You can always add “reach” schools later depending on how things go; what you need right now is the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have solid safeties in mind. You’ll be fine; just focus on having a great junior year!