<p>I don’t think you should dwell on that – the colleges are going to look at the courses you have taken and make their own decision. You have bigger problems than that with your app. I’ve looked at your [stats[/url</a>] – you are pretty much academically weak across the board for the [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065574557-post1.html]particular”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065574557-post1.html]particular</a> schools](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065577227-post1.html]stats[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065577227-post1.html) you are aiming at – debating about the gc’s opinion about the intensity of your course load isn’t going to help. </p>
<p>I think you need to get a more realistic array of colleges to apply to – it is fine to apply to a few reaches, but you need to focus on colleges that are matches or safeties for you. Your SAT’s and grades are not bad in the context of many less selective colleges – it is just that you really are aiming pretty high with your current list.</p>
<p>Do apply to Barnard, but in your application you should really focus on your volunteer work and your involvement. That is your strength, and you have to kind of hope that you high level of community & political involvement is going to intrigue Barnard enough that they will take a chance with you. You certainly do have a lot of commitment, and you have had a really rough life – they will take that into consideration. I think your chances are still pretty slim, but certainly not impossible – but it is your life story, and definitely not your grades and test scores, that has the potential of getting you in. In other words, Barnard is never going to admit you based on academics… but they just might accept you in spite of your academics because of your high level of involvement, your spirit, and the value you bring to the campus in terms of diversity.</p>
<p>I can’t really advise you on the other colleges on the list. I can tell you that Boston U. will probably not give you the financial aid you would need to attend – I am assuming from what you have posted about your life circumstances that your parents are going to be able to help out much, if at all – BU is very forthright about the fact that they leverage their need-based aid based on stats. You might even be able to pull info from their site that would give you an idea of how much aid you could expect based on your SAT score. (BU waitlisted my daughter, by the way – even though she was accepted by Chicago & NYU as well as Barnard).</p>
<p>I noticed you posted in the Bryn Mawr forum and I do think that your chances might be better there – and I think they also would place great value on your volunteer work & your passion for social justice.</p>