Would a low-ish freshman GPA ruin my chances of getting into an Ivy League school?

Not necessarily. As a current Ivy Leaguer (Brown U) I can say that I know a whole bunch of people here who did not get a 4.0 gpa in high school. B's are not an end-all-be-all for your application, but C's will be - so make sure your grades don't fall any lower.

ALSO - another thing colleges love is upward trends; they show that you have grown as a person and learned to control/deal with/overcome whatever was previously holding you back. If you get B's this year and A's next year, you'll be in a good place. And finally, keep in mind that colleges choose students for who they are, not what they have.

If you are trying to compete with other applicants just based on grades, SAT/ACT scores, volunteering, other token extracurriculars, then you could be one of those "excellent applicants" that gets rejected just by luck of the draw. When you are applying, try to point out the specific perspectives and interests that you will bring to the school that other people might not have good luck!

Sure, a few B's might hurt your chances, but if you show improvement, which any college LOVES, then it just shows you have a good work ethic, which is not such a bad thing :) Also, it sounds like you understand that you need to be well-rounded, but a piece of advice: Don't just participate in all these extracurricular activities because they will look/sound good. Do what you really really love, and follow your passion. And, BE A LEADER!

I cannot stress this enough - really smart kids don't get into good colleges because they don't show leadership. Being good with books is NOT enough. Trust me :).

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.