<p>To the OP: if your school really is as competitive as you say, your GPA does NOT suck. People don’t understand that a GPA is usually considered under the circumstances of one’s school. I don’t think anyone at my school has had a 3.8+ GPA in a while, yet there are a handful of HYP admits each year. The more competitive a school, the lower the average GPA of a student at these top schools may be.
Your ACT score, however, may be a cause for concern. Try to retake the exam before you apply in the fall. But don’t listen to any idiot that says your ACT score “sucks.” It doesn’t. That’s all I have to say.
And do not underestimate the power of a strong essay. Have a college counselor or strong writer read over it. Top applicants at my school allow my school’s college office to use their essays as “samples” for others to read (nobody can plagarize these essays though, because at my school, the college counselor reads through everything before you even hit submit), and to be honest, I wasn’t surprised to see why some students were admitted or rejected after reading their essays. One of the tippy-top students had one of the worst college essays I’ve ever seen; it was dry, and impersonal, and if I were an adcom, it would not leave me wanting to learn more about this student. Another student, on the other hand, had such a deep and personal essay, that there would be no way I would dismiss this student as unqualified with nothing to bring to the plate. This student is Asian (with a sub30 ACT score), and currently attends Stanford.</p>