Setback with Valuable Contact - How Should I Proceed?

Background: I am a junior at a semi-target midwest lib arts schools. No, that's not an oxymoron dicks - we place well on the street every year. I was a biochem major through freshman year. Despised it, consequently struggled with grades. I changed up my major to econ as a sophomore and have maintained a 3.8 major GPA 3.67 overall SINCE freshman year. We are fortunate enough to take a recruiting trip to visit 3 BB's every fall through an IB class. At one of the banks we had a Q&A with 2 directors and then toured the trading floor. Apparently I impressed one of the directors enough during Q&A to pull me out of the group during the tour and sit me with a senior trader. I ended up talking to him for about 45 mins while the rest of the group went back to the hotel. I checked my email as I was walking out the door I had this forward chain from the trader to the director to a director in IBD (alum) to an associate also in IBD (another alum and personal contact) to my prof who was running the trip telling me that they wanted me to apply. Thrilled, obviously.

Catch: my cum. GPA was a 2.9 (all from shit biochem grades fresh year) and the cut was 3.0 for internal referrals. I knew my GPA would be way over the cut at the end of the semester but the app deadline was late Nov.

Current sit: cum GPA is up to 3.2, major GPA 3.8, but I missed the deadline. The trader knows my situation and we have corresponded since then. I emailed back and forth with the director for about a week after the trip. He told me to hit him up in Dec. to have me come out and sit on the desk for a few days BUT he didn't know that I couldn't apply for an SA spot. I would love to go out obviously but I 1) don't know if the offer would stand since I didn't apply 2) would look ridiculous heading out now. I've been sitting on this since then.

Please advise!