OP misses what top colleges look for. That alone can put him off track.
It’s not explanations, excuses, what he wants or how he believes he could succeed.
It’s actual results, the grades he did get, not the dreams. No matter what gpa he calculates including this or excluding that, they’ll look at the transcript, see the B and C grades.
This isn’t “good enough” gets you in. You compete with days and days of kid after kid who performed at consistent top level. No excuses, no misses, no “if you just look at it differently, it looks better.” Nope.
And what about ECs? It’s not starting some club or writing to profs about internships you don’t yet have.
Where’s the pattern here? Hopes, massaging numbers? OP should stop explaining and go learn what does matter. Learn to properly and maturely “match” himself.
I’m kinda stuck on his comment that first semester grades aren’t downward.