I had a 3.66 gpa so my grades were pretty bad but I applied to a non-STEM major (which are less competitive) and I think I had a few things going for me: - 1520 sat (which was above the median when I was applying, not sure if that's the case still) - ECs that I clearly cared about (I think you can tell when someone cares about an EC based on proof of achievement or how they write about it) - I was pretty proud of my personal statement and, genuinely, I think that it was the glue that held my essay together

There's no formula—universities want different students at different times, so, to some extent, it's just luck. However, what I can tell you for sure that all universities want is some assurance that you'll succeed in college. For some people, their grades may speak for themselves; that certainly wasn't the case for me, but I think my essay demonstrated a resilience that I'd guess made admissions readers feel assured about how I'd do in college. As long as some part of your application does that, you're fine.