This seems like a very fair assessment, and I really appreciate the level of work put into it.

I also don't think your claim for the "toughest interdisciplinary program" has does not have much merit either and is a poor justification for the low GPA. I also don't think a low ranked high school nor the low ranked state is too important.

I also mean this non-offensively but I seriously doubt that you had that strong of an upward trajectory and question if you really received the majority of A's you claim to have gotten in your final years of undergrad. Going from a 2.72 to only a 3.20 is a fairly weak upward trend in my opinion.

I should clarify here. My poor performance was not contained to just my freshman year. While I improved marginally in my sophomore year, I didn't start earning A's and A-'s until my junior year, which was when my upward trajectory really started to peak. And with regards to the aforementioned reasons for my GPA, I was under the impression that those are the kinds of things adcomms look for. I came to my school very under-prepared given my background, was punished for it, and yet learned and adapted, which seems like an adequate justification.

Did you have any family you had to take care of or that had an illness? Mental illness or serious depression that you can justify that may have been a hurdle for you during college? These would be much better justification In your additional information, I would still briefly mention your background (low-income, first-generation, etc.) but try to tie in more specific reasons of why your GPA is lower than other candidates particularly life hurdles or problems you faced in undergrad. This may give you more leniency.

I appreciate the advice levied here. During my freshman year I was diagnosed with ADD, but decided not to take any medicine for it because of my family's history with addiction. The only significant challenge I faced that could have tanked my grades was my mother passing last semester, though I was in a deep state of grief, I did not let it affect my studies, and I consequently earned the highest GPA of any of my semesters in college. And aside from significantly struggling at the beginning of my college career because of my being very under-prepared for the academic rigor of an Ivy League institution due to my background, those are the only two things that come to mind.

I don't say that as a defense, but more as a clarifying comment/question: it's to my understanding that adcomms like to see upward trajectory. And I even began my trajectory during my junior year., which, from what I've read, is the year in which many successful MBA applicants begin their trajectory. Does that mean the adcomms will toss that aside? Or that it does in fact matter, but not to the extent to which it will help me?

Extra-circulars look so-so given that many of your peers will have president positions and/or lots of leadership positions. Any honors or awards that you could reference? I really like that you quantified the impact. 3500 is definitely a sizeable number.

That's understandable. I did other things with the organization that could certainly be quantified and look good on my resume; and the organization itself is prestigious and has a long reach. I didn't want to go too much into detail on te nature of the organization because I would doxx myself as a result since it's fairly unique. I get though that other applicants will have held leadership positions as well, so your advice is still nonetheless apt.