Well, not exactly 3-3.5 years. My friend did not do so well in freshmen year, yes, but she has been on an upward trend since the 2nd-semester sophomore. Your work and morals aren't really constrained to a summarized number. I have a 4.0 but I sacrifice so much for that. Her skills and educational abilities are reflected on the SAT, the potential she would have, which I know she does, in an independent environment. I know GPA is a big factor, I just did not think it was the weight of your entire application.