Is my GPA too low? Did I mess up?

Applying to College
1

Hey guys, I’m currently in my junior year at a private boarding school and I was wondering if my previous years of grades will ruin my chances at a top school. The numbers listed below are unweighted.

Freshman Year: 3.69 (3 honors)
Sophomore Year: 3.69 (2 honors)
Junior First Quarter: 4.0 (4 APs 1 Honors)

As of the first quarter of my junior year, I have a 95.5 average and a 4.0 in (4 APs 1 Honors).
I plan to continue to have a 4.0 for the rest of my high school career. This is absolutely doable now that I have quit league of legends. Will the significant .3 improvement be seen as slacking off for the first two years? And how much more will they consider my most recent performance ( junior year and senior year GPA) vs the cumulative (average GPA).

My other stats include:
195 PSAT (projected to increase)

Honors Classes:
Bio
Chemistry
English I
Geometry
Algebra II
Pre-Calc

AP:
Chem
Statistics
Spanish
English Language

Senior Plan:
English 4 (regular)
AP Calc BC
AP Physics
AP Bio
Honors Abstract Math (the highest level math offered at my school)

ECs
Mu Alpha Theta
Varsity Rowing (3 years and going strong)
-plan to be captain next year
Varsity Swimming (quit freshman year)
Wrestling (had to quit due to injury)
Student Curriculum Advisory Committee
Honors Program
Distinguished Scholars Program (merit scholarship given to two incoming students each year)
Math Tutor
Gender Committee
VP Math Club
-plan to be president next year
Peer Support Network
Community Service Grant Selection Committee
Dorm Prefect

I was interested in:
UCLA
UC Berkeley
UC San Diego
Cornell
U Penn
Dartmouth
University of Michigan
for majors either in Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, or Business/Economics

Will I still have a chance at these schools, or will my past two years hold me back?

2

I am half Thai and half Indonesian raised in California but attend boarding school in Tenessee. My family income is probably 90k. I am still a lawful resident of California.

3

Your nice tuition at the private boarding school should include excellent counselor guidance. Have you sat down with them? Their info to you will be 500x better than what internet strangers’ guesses will be (most on this site, will be rather clueless HS students too)

4

UMich OOS is not only very expensive (not much financial aid), but very difficult to get into for Comp Sci/Engineering.

UC’s only look at 10-11 GPA.

You still need test scores to be accurately chanced.

Your chances for UC’s will depend a lot on your major. Engineering will be much more difficult than Biology or Comp Sci.

Cornell, UPenn (Wharton, the business school, will be more difficult than a bio major at Penn), Dartmouth all reaches.

I agree, you should talk to your counselor. Numbers are meaningless as the most important thing is context within your school. While a 3.69 is low objectively for the schools mentioned, if it was one of the highest GPA’s in your grade, then no it will not hurt you at all in admissions.

Your counselor will know best as they know where you stand among your peers, where past kids from your school, of your academic caliber got into etc. and they can make the most accurate judgement on where you have a good shot at getting in.