Low GPA/High-ish ACT, should I even bother for the Ivies?

Hi everyone, I’m looking to apply to a few upper-end universities, along with some safety state schools soon, and I was just wondering about how much of an issue my relatively low GPA will be in admissions. Truthfully, I attend a very difficult school (top 40 in nation), and until more recently I simply haven’t paid as much attention to my grades as I should have. I’ve tried to make up for this recently by taking more AP courses, which has helped slightly.

Info:
Unweighted: ~3.35
Weighted: ~3.85
ACT: 33 (looking to possibly take a 5th time in December to try for a 34)
8 AP courses by graduation
14 honors courses by graduation

Extracurriculars (not much):
Leader of a cycling club outside of school
Co-leader of film appreciation/evaluation club at and outside of school
Member/active participant in French Honor Society (SHF)

Safety-ish:
UT Knoxville
UT Chattanooga
Tennessee Tech

Definite Reach:
Vanderbilt
UPenn
Columbia

I have not yet submitted applications to the last three schools on my list (Vandy, etc.), and have been considering lately whether it would be worth the trouble and finances anyway to do so. Out of the three definite reach schools I’m thinking about, Vanderbilt would likely be the most convenient/best option if I were accepted, so I’m keeping that in mind as well. I’m looking to study Computer Engineering or Computer Science, so if anybody had any other suggestions, that would be great as well. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Truthfully, GPA really matters at these top schools. In addition, your ECs are rather lacking compared to the average Ivy League applicant.

I’m assuming that you’re in TN, particularly middle TN. Your UWGPA is low for UTK but your ACT is high. If you go to Hume-Fogg or Martin Luther King Jr. (wow, I’m making Nashville-centric assumptions here) then you should practically have an automatic acceptance. Your stats are below average for Vandy, but it’s still worth a shot. You’d get substantial merit scholarships at the UTs. PM me with more specifics on location?

And have you visited any of the other schools in Nashville? How about MTSU as an additional safety?

BTW I’m less than an 45 minutes from Vandy and as such I feel waaay too obligated to comment on Vandy chance threads.

I should also probably mention that I’ve gotten 40 hours or so through volunteering with literary outreach, elementary education, and food donation programs recently and may get more soon.

Vandy would most definitely look favorably upon education outreach. They kind of love education. About half of my teachers went there and most of the people in my strings class have been to a summer program.