Top colleges to transfer into with a bad high school record?

What are some of the top colleges that don’t consider high school grades (too much) for (junior) transfer applicants?

I’ve slacked off in high school too much, and now I have a GPA of 3.2, with a D in AP Physics C Mechanics and 2 Cs in Pre-calc and Biology. Is there still a (realistic) chance for me to get into a good college if I earn a high GPA during my 2 years in community college?

And should I take the SAT? I still haven’t taken it yet because I’ve heard colleges only look at SAT scores to see if the applicant’s ready for college, which (I think) isn’t necessary if I’ve proven myself in a community college.

Of course there is a chance, but you have to do pretty well, and I would definitely take a standardized test. In general, the rule is that the more time that goes by, the less high school grades are considered. I would say that the most selective schools will always pay attention to high school grades to some extent. I would say HYPSM and other top schools still pay much attention to them; generally state schools will usually not weight them as much. UCB and Northeastern (private school but still) do NOT even require or consider high school transcripts: USC (also private) only looks at them to make sure prospective transfers have graduated from high school. My two cents.

If you know which CC you will be attending, make an appointment with the Transfer Advisor there so that you can start designing a plan that will help you get into the type of college/university you want to transfer to. That person should also be able to help you determine whether or not you will need an ACT or SAT score, and if so whether you must have taken it before starting college.