I've heard of such programs, in fact there's something like that in my school for certain majors. The thing with that it's accelerated as you might've figured out. So while it's probably credible, it's also likely to be competitive and intensive...but if that's what you want, go for it!
Not sure how to find out what they want for a GPA...but I don't think schools really say. I could be wrong though. It does depend if it's a selective school, and how much they consider it. Schools have different priorities of what they see as important. You can find that information on collegeboard, under the school name's profile. It'll say what is "very important", "important" and "considered" for their school.
As for going out of state school, are you talking about adapting to the environment? I'm in a school in the same city I live in, so it's a bit different with me. But I do remember reading tips from these books. They said things like when doing your laundry, don't leave it there. Stay until it's done because if you wait too long, it can get lost or stolen. Also taking showers and doing laundry at odd hours so it's less crowded. Hmm, there's the freshman 15, where freshman tend to gain 15 pounds, so just make sure you're eating healthy and exercising. Join clubs and try to meet new people. I don't know what else. I don't want to bore you with a rant
