<p>I’m not sure you’re getting the best advice here. </p>
<p>The kids are well meaning but colleges do not look at things the way they do. While we all think kids who have experienced hardship should get a break, in many years as a counselor I’ve seen colleges can be unyielding where their standards are concerned. They need to know students will graduate–they are rated on how many graduate–and the correlation they depend on is with high school performance.</p>
<p>In cases like yours we’re asking them to guess how you may have performed if these unfortunate events were not part of the picture. While in some cases with high scores and support from the high school you may get into a school that looked like a big reach, the majority of application outcomes will be that you’ll get intoo schools your grades suggest you’ll get into.</p>
<p>I’m also assuming you need substantial financial aid. Looking for financial safeties will also be key if this is the case. Most schools on your list do not meet need. </p>
<p>So while anything is possible, your list needs to be constructed with schools your stats are in range for that you can afford first. Then you can layer on reaches that might consider your story.</p>