I'm completely lost

<p>I have unweighted GPA 3.3 (I'm not sure about my weighted one)
and I've repeated the sophomore year twice b/c I was in France for 6 months as an exchange student during my first sophomore year.
I'm in VA right now but I lived in Canada until my second sophomore year, where my school didn't offer any honors courses nor clubs.
That's one of the reasons why my GPA is pretty low, although I DID slack off my freshman and the first sophomore year.
Right now I'm in my second sophomore year and I'm taking all honors courses
with two AP subjects and my grades have significantly improved.
I'm planning to take four AP's next year and bring up my grades and join many clubs as well as ECs.
I've calculated my GPA and if I were to get UW GPA 4 in my junior and senior year, my cumulative GPA will be around 3.6 by the time I graduate.
I know many of you will say it depends on my SAT and essay
but if I did really well on those two
What universities should I consider???
I'm thinking
Upenn
cornell
berkeley
NYU
I need advice</p>

<p>Well u could try all of them...</p>

<p>But u shud manage to get at least 2300l in SAT / SAT II (depending on wat major ur considering) and give a really good essay. Well I advise u to take some ECs cause they too are relatively important.</p>

<p>Try to unearth a really outstanding feature/talent within you. ;-)</p>

<p>I was in France for 6 months as an exchange student and that's about the only outstanding EC I have for now although I'm planning to do more.
Do you think the fact that I took sophomore year twice lowers my chance?</p>

<p>anyway, thanks for the reply YASH :)</p>

<p>Your unweighted gpa is very low for all of the colleges that you listed. I think that all will be super reaches for you no matter how high your scores are. I don't suggest applying to Berklely because it's difficult enough to get in as a Calif. resident, but is insanely difficult to get in from out of state. Stats count big time there.</p>

<p>Fine to dream and to apply to the other schools that you listed -- just in case. </p>

<p>Do have some realistic match schools and safeties, however. My guess is that unless you have spectacular board scores -- 1520 and higher, any top 25 school is likely to be a big reach. Your match schools are likely to be toward the bottom of the top 50, your safeties will likely be tier 2 ones.</p>

<p>Take a look at the boards on CC that are for the individual colleges. You'll see what kind of students were accepted/rejected this year. Expect that when you apply, the competition will be even tougher because there will be even more students applying to colleges.</p>

<p>You may have decent chances at places like Fordham, American, George Washington, Syracuse, Ithaca, Rochester and Boston U, which might be match and safeties for you.</p>

<p>Agree with Northstarmom that your school are all high reaches with the exception of NYU if you get great SATs. </p>

<p>Unfortunately a foreign exchange term can not be considered an "outstanding EC as so many kids now do them.</p>

<p>Look at the boards that show who got in where this year for good match schools for yourself.</p>

<p>I'm gonna try to get UW GPA 4 for next year and my senior year
and that should bring up my average up to around 3.6~3.7
Geez, I wanna cry now...
I wish I could go back to my freshman year.
good old days~~ :(</p>

<p>If you can get straight A's from now on and an SAT above 2100, you still have a chance at cornell and penn. The problem is, you'll have to pack your schedule with EC's at the same time. You won't have a life.</p>

<p>Do you have any special talent you can work on and find a way to present?</p>

<p>My UW GPA as an entering junior was 3.0. I had 0 EC's, and I was addicted to computer games. I woke up around then, took all IB classes, joined rigorous EC's like debate, composed music for the radio, and got good SAT's. With a strongly written application, I didn't get rejected anywhere. Top 50 universities (Case, Lehigh, Rochester, RPI) came through with money. Even CMU accepted me. I will be attending an excellent LAC next fall.</p>

<p>So if you can stomach it, put in a solid effort. A solid (not spectacular, I mostly got B+'s in my 11th and 12th grade classes) effort will get you into most top 50's. A spectacular effort might get you into top 15's.</p>

<p>There are many fine colleges that will be happy to have you if you work hard these next 2 years. Take a look at the book "Colleges that change lives."</p>

<p>I am always amazed at the number of kids who repeat the same phrase--"I wish I could go back.....". I talk to my own kids about this. We;;. you can't, so just do your very best going forward and life still is open to all possibilities.</p>

<p>I think that you've learned an important lesson and now you must apply it. I agree with the others that you will have to work hard, but don't despair. You have a chance. You might want to present this as personal and academic growth during high school and emphasize your improvements.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>