Chance Me for Ivies, Stanford, Caltech, MIT, etc. + Essay Advice

Hi everyone! I'm a rising senior and would really appreciate some honest feedback. I'm not looking for college recommendations. I'm mainly wondering whether I have a realistic shot at highly selective schools like the Ivies, Stanford, Caltech, MIT, etc., and what I should focus on in my essays.

Background

Indian female

Interested in STEM (still deciding between CS, engineering, biology, or something similar)

Academics

GPA: 3.5 UW / 4.2 W

SAT: 1580

ACT: 36

16 AP classes total, including 6 self-studied APs. I earned only 4s and 5s.

GPA Context

This is the part I'm most worried about.

I had around a 2.5 GPA freshman year because of significant mental health struggles and harassment at school. After freshman year, I recovered and have earned essentially a 4.0 for the rest of high school while taking a very rigorous course load.

I'm planning to briefly explain the circumstances in the Additional Information section without making it sound like an excuse.

Extracurriculars and Awards

ISEF Grand Award winner

Participated in iGEM and presented at the iGEM Jamboree

Published 3 research articles

BPA National Winner

TSA National Winner

Won multiple state-level awards in BPA, TSA, DECA, and FBLA

USACO Platinum

State Officer for a CTSO

Founded a nonprofit supporting girls who have experienced harassment

Founded my school's Best Buddies chapter

FRC Safety Captain

Created an app with over 1,000 users

Civil Air Patrol

Girl Scouts

Volunteer at Special Olympics

Volunteer campaign manager for my congressman

Several additional local awards and volunteer activities

Questions:

How much will my freshman-year GPA hurt me at schools like the Ivies, Stanford, Caltech, and MIT given my strong upward trend?

Do I seem competitive for schools at that level, or is the GPA likely to be a major obstacle despite the rest of my application?

I'm also struggling to come up with an essay topic. My nonprofit was inspired by my own experiences with harassment, but I don't want my personal statement to feel like a trauma essay. Does anyone have suggestions for what kinds of stories or themes might work well?

Thank you so much for any advice. I really appreciate it!