I don’t know about programs and they’re admission criteria, but the approach of “my grades are bad and might get worse, who will have me” is not likely to work out for you. This strategy of “aiming low” will set you apart from the competition for top programs. You are in your third year, so presumably have a three semesters to work on things. You say your grades “might” get worse. Do you not have some control over this? You are predicting a negative outcome when you have some agency over the outcome. I’m no cognitive therapist but that sounds like a major problem right there.
Identify what needs to happen for your grades to improve (e.g., I need an A on the next two quizzes and at least a B+ on the final paper), figure out what’s been keeping you from doing better, and change your behavior so that you’ll do better. Otherwise, things aren’t going to work out the way you want them to. If you figure things out, it may mean a few years of work in the field (applied or research or both- depending on career goals) to show good programs that you’re likely to succeed and the behaviors that led to your poor academic perform earlier are a thing of the past and you’ve changed and matured as you progressed through you educational and career development. It’s not hopeless unless you decide it is- feelings aren’t facts unless you make them so!
