I recently got accepted to UW Madison with a 3.71 UW GPA and a 31 on my ACT.
However, my GPA dropped to a 3.52 with my first semester grades. I did not slack, its just that I am taking 6 of the harder APs at my school like AP Physics, AP Spanish, and Calc BC.
Is a .2 drop enough for admissions to reconsider my GPA?
I am sure I can raise my GPA back up to a 3.6/3.7 in second semester but is that too late?
The rumor is that you need to have at least either 2 Ds, 2 Fs or 1 D and 1 F to have your admission rescinded.
You had 2 B’s and a C last semester?
I’m currently in the same boat. It’s not like I’m trying any less. All the classes are really hard. I’m pulling B’s right now in AP Calc, AP Gov/Econ, and AP Literature/Composition. It’s finals week and I’m trying so hard because I’m scared I’m going to get rescinded. My teachers and friends tell me it’s very unlikely, though.
I had 2 A’s. 2 B+, 1 B-, and 1 B
Do not worry. Those with low grades (D’s, F’s, several C’s) are at risk. Do figure out WHY you got the grades you did. Learning how to perform well in college includes having good study habits and a solid knowledge base. You may have learned valuable information about what NOT to do in the future. Overextending yourself, not realizing you needed to review material, so many others. There is also being a slacker- something my son dissed prior to becoming one his senior year.
I wouldn’t worry, @RandomUsername82 or @aimlesswriter. If you guys aren 't looking at any C’s you should be safe.
Finish the year strong because your grades are going to be correlated with how well you do on your AP exams. 
Not necessarily re AP exams. Years ago my gifted son did not like the way his AP Chemistry was taught- his May Chemistry AP exam score was a 5 while his June class grade was a C. Likewise he never did AP Statistics homework (but got 100% on all tests) yielding B’s- 5 on the AP exam. Do NOT do as he did. btw, he did well in the UW Honors program.
That doesn’t drop your GPA from 3.71 to 3.52
What does it drop it to?
Yeah, I wouldn’t recommend that one depend on the AP test to show that you really knew what went on in class. My kid got a C or C+ in US Gov. AP but scored a 5 on the test. These examples are NOT the norm LOL.
@RandomUser82 was it your Cum. GPA or your semester GPA that was a 3.52?
Knowing what is taught in the class likewise doesn’t mean learning the material as expected for the AP exam. I also know of a boy who was studious and got A’s in his (different state and year) AP Chemistry class but only got a 3 on the AP exam. Son’s class was likely much better taught- he just didn’t do all of the work required. Both went on to colleges and have done well. Son’s AP US History B mimicked his AP 4- if he had done what the teacher recommended for improving his essay writing (tried to write a book but not enough time to finish his thoughts…) he likely would have had the A/5. Good and bad teaching for AP classes- a reason to have the standardized tests.
My cumulative GPA was a 3.71 and my GPA this semester was a 3.39. I got that by plugging my grades (2 A, 2 B+,1 B,1 B -) into an online calculator. The calculator then told me that my NEW cumulative GPA is a 3.52
Sure - if the 3.71 represented one semester’s worth of work. It doesn’t. You need to weigh the 3.71 by 6/7 and the 3.52 by 1/7. Doing that, I get a 3.66 (roughly). You can do all this long hand or on a spreadsheet and then take the average over 7 semesters.