Is there any chance I can get into U Conn or Penn State with my current high school performance?

Question

I'm going to be a junior next week and I totally blew my first two years of high school by getting a 1.78 gpa freshman year and a 1.87 sophomore. I know, awful right? I regret those two years a lot. I'm planning on doing very well my upcoming junior year (Aiming for a 3.5 GPA or above and a good SAT score). I'm planning on joining at least 2-3 clubs and doing community service, getting those hours. Since I totally bombed my freshman and sophomore year, are my chances of getting into schools like U Conn & Penn State screwed? Or do I still have hope?

Remember, grades come first but I know grades doesn't mean anything. I want to be an all-around person junior year and hope that I could get in.

Answer 1

ehhhh to be honest thats not good. for penn state, 2/3 of their decisions are based on the students grade point average. uconn you might still have a shot if you do well on your sat's.

Answer 2

Most bigger schools like Penn State don't have time to look at every single person's essays and background information. If you don't have a solid GPA at a bigger school, there's a better chance that admissions officers will throw out your application after just seeing your GPA.

If worse comes to worse, do community college for a year after graduating to prove to the school that you do have the ability to do well. After that, apply to Penn State (or the school of your choice).