jeanLMath

I’m a PhD student now, and have a very similar background to you: I also hated math in high school, am a transfer student who only declared a math major in my junior year, and had some personal circumstances which affected my GPA. Actually, you’re in a better situation than me because I had no publications! I ended up getting 7 offers including Ivy league, so your optimism is not misplaced For me, I genuinely believe this was because I targeted the right people and wrote thoughtfully about their work in my application. I would spend some time to really think about what your area of interest is (do you want to work in algebraic geometry/representation theory in grad school?). I think you will have the best chance if you write a mature and developed application that shows you know your field of interest. I can help suggest some specific schools and faculty if you message me and tell me more about your interests.