Should I even bother?

<p>I didn't do as well as I should have in high school, usually getting mostly B's, a decent amount of A's, and a few C's (weighted GPA - 4.2). I participated in a few EC activities but nothing spectacular except maybe that I was the president of Mu Alpha Theta math honor society. My SAT/ACT scores were somewhat decent, not perfect. Also, I took some extra classes at my local community college, but I didn't do so good in them (4 classes - 2 Cs, 1 B, 1A). I guess I didn't take everything as seriously as I should have. </p>

<p>Currently, I am a mechanical engineering freshman in college taking 19 credits (the max allowed) this fall semester and so far I'm doing pretty well in all of them. If I have the time while maintaing/improving my current grades, I am also planning on self-studying some courses and receive credit for them by passing the final exam for that class at my school</p>

<p>Do you guys think that if I really truly work hard this and next semester that I will have a fighting chance of getting into Stanford even though the transfer rate is 1%. Since I am determined to work my butt off, I would appreciate it if you guys can give me your opinions assuming that I get all A's this and next semester while taking the most rigorous courses possible. </p>

<p>Do you think I should re-take SAT/ACT tests at least once this semester or is this not the norm? I have only taken the ACT 1 time so I was hoping to retake that and maybe some SAT subject tests if possible. </p>

<p>Also, after doing some calculations, I found out that I will have about 55-65 credits after this year that pertains to my major if everything goes as planned. Additionally, I will have about 10-20 credits from high school that don't relate to my major. I don't know if this will have any impact for Stanford but I do know that some schools put a cap of about 60 credits. </p>

<p>Finally, I am welcome to any tips, advice, and suggestions that will boost my chances no matter how slight. I know that I messed up in HS but I am now actively trying to put that behind me and start clean. I just want to know if I still have any glimmer of hope of turning my academic life around and having a fighting chance of getting into Stanford. Let me know if you guys need a more detailed resume of myself and I appreciate any and all response. Thank you.</p>