A lot of this advice goes for those who are looking for their first co-ops and internships, too. If you haven't built experience yet, your GPA becomes a critical flag for how you dedicate yourself to the work you've been given. Combine that with interesting projects, and you'll be well on your way to getting the internships that will make you stand out later.
What got me in easy for my internship was a decent GPA (3.8 at the time) + working full-time as a shift manager from when I turned 18 until the company hired me. GPA + maintaining some sort of responsibility definitely helped
