hey dude! im an american applicant to HSPS and I just got invited for an interview at Cambridge yesterday (I’m so happy you don’t even know!!) so i feel like i might be able to help out a bit. I would have 4 main things to say:
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first, on GPA. don’t worry about your GPA, Cambridge honestly barely barely look at it. the only two UK schools that i would say minimally care about it are St. Andrews because it’s admissions is so americanized and LSE which requires at least a 3.7 GPA so maybe take a pass on LSE. I had a 3.7uw and i felt pretty unsecured about that but in the end that part really didn’t matter too much.
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second, on APs. your APs are great, but unlike US apps, your scores matter a LOT LOT LOT. id say if you get 5s on all your APs except maybe one or two 4s this year that would help a lot. Oxbridge and most schools don’t count AP Capstone so forget that. i would most def say if your goal is the UK, take a lot of APs senior year, which is what I’m doing. As mentioned above, AP Comp Gov is always great for PPE/HSPS
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third, on SATs. THAT is where you really really need to spend a lot of time. to be brutally honest with a 1470 you won’t even be considered at Cambridge and you will most likely be overlooked at Oxford. I honestly haven’t heard of anyone with a sub 1500 get in. That’s only thirty points though so I think it’s really really feasible, but definitely try to get it up. you don’t need a 1600 but a score in the 99th percentile, preferable above 1520 but anything above 1500 works.
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lastly, on extracurriculars. this is super important (if anything, please remember this) in the UK, any activity you do that is not related to your course does not mean anything. like, at all. not considered. dont even put it in. so Carnegie Hall, Track, helping at Autism camp, music in hospitals, music manager… any of that, unless you plan to apply for music or sports, it literally means zero. I’m sorry to be harsh but I’m saying this because you are a junior so you still have time to fix this. (it would probably be a problem as a senior lol). what you really really need to do is demonstrate interest IN YOUR COURSE (ie. ppe if that’s what you want to do). usually debate, mun, investing, politics activism all of that is mildly helpful (def spend a few lines on it, maybe a few sentences) but what i heard that Oxbridge specifically looks for is further reading. that can be by doing a research project (either with a prof or just on your own - you really dont need to have insane connections, just had a topic i liked so i just wrote a paper independently- or it can just be done by reading a lot and talking about those readings in your personal statements. for the US all your current activities certainly help, but if your aim is the UK, i would shift your time towards that and good SATs and AP scores, that’s what really is going to matter in the end.
hope that helps! feel free to PM me if you want 