Low GPA that shows an upward trend

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey guys I'm kind of freaking out about my GPA. I was a super slacker during my freshman year and the first half of my sophomore year but since then I've shaped up. I've heard that upward trends are a good thing, but I've also heard that it doesn't matter how awesome you turn out to be if your grades were really awful. Here's my GPA breakdown by semester...</p>

<p>Freshman - both semesters: 3.66 UW (two Bs, no weighted classes offered to freshmen)
Sophomore - 1st semester: 3.42 UW, 3.71 W (two Bs, C in precalc. yipes.)
2nd semester: 3.85 UW, 4.14 W (B in precalc. gosh i hated that class)
Junior - both semesters: 4.0 UW, 4.83 W (A in calc. yay!) </p>

<p>This brings me to a measly cumulative GPA of 3.76 UW and 4.13 W. Senior year, however, I could potentially get a 5.0. So do you think top colleges (Yale, UPenn, UChicago, etc) would appreciate the (i think) significant upward trend, or would the low overall GPA and the awful glaring C turn them off? What about state schools like the UCs?
Also, I've heard that if you show an upward trend, you should address it in your personal statement. But what exactly is there to say? Nothing traumatic happened that affected my grades and I can't very well write about being a lazy bum for the first year and a half of high school, can I? </p>

<p>Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Well, with any given GPA under 4.0, an upward trend is the best possible scenario. Much better than downward and better than staying level. Middle freshman GPA to high junior GPA isn’t so bad. There are a few schools that don’t even count freshman GPAs, but for the majority, it does count, but counts the least. Junior year and 1st semester of senior year (if it’s not an early application) are the most important grades, so keep working hard.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, BillyMc. I feel a bit more confident now. I’m pretty sure I can get into most of the UCs, but what do you think of the more selective schools I mentioned based on my GPA alone?</p>