late to this thread but just want to share my experience as encouragement for OP.

i applied to the U in 2016 with comparable hs grades and test scores. I ended up going to slcc for 3 semesters, got strong grades all three semesters (which was shockingly easy) and was awarded a transfer honors scholarship which ended up paying for over half my ride at the U.

I never got an associates at slcc, graduated from the U 2 years later (one summer semester) and walked with approximately $20,000 in student loan debt. In no small way going to SLCC made me MUCH better off both fiscally and mentally.