I wish you had provided your WGPA, as that does matter. Also, what your UWGPA was 10-12. Schools do look at how students grow academically, so I would not rule out the Ivies, but it will be tough, that said, you do have an interesting story and that may be a “hook” for some. My advice if you want a top university (maybe not an ivy) is to pick one with an EDII. If you are worried about financial aid, it is the one reason you can pull back your application, so don’t worry about that. Some top schools that have ED II are Colgate, Lehigh and Bucknell. There are others, but the main point is showing you are committed to the school, so pick the one you are most connected to. LORs will also be a big part of if you get in. Remember, there are so many “top” schools that if you apply to enough, someone will connect with your unique story and you should get a pleasant surprise. You test scores are great and will make you a candidate they will consider. Be sure, however, to select a few safety schools. Any school with lower than a 50% acceptance is not a safety, even if you are mid their criteria. We had a friend that met the criteria for 6 schools on her list, but all had selective admissions and she ony got into one, the one she liked the least of everywhere. She was waitlisted to 3 and did end up getting into Colgate from the waitlist after doing a lot of stuff to get in there. Lesson she learned was the overconfidence in the schools she thought she was a shoe in was not accurate. Find a safety you could live with and then spend your time on which school you should EDII to.
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