<p>I just want to say that I’m sorry to hear about your recent losses and sincerely wish you the best of luck!</p>
<p>Thank you very much Ghostt, I appreciate it.</p>
<p>I’m not an expert so I can’t offer any advice, but good luck. People like you truly deserve higher education and it’s a shame that many times it is wasted on those who don’t appreciate it.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you, you have overcome a lot of hurdles! </p>
<p>Don’t bother with Bennington College (small school, small endowment = crappy financial aid packages). </p>
<p>Let us know where you end up!</p>
<p>So glad you’re back! You’re right- it’s a great list. Let us know how things turn out.</p>
<p>I just want to say good luck, but I also encourage you to have a safety on that list. While your story will be compelling and your test scores are very good, your GPA (and I presume class rank) will be a hurdle. For example at Ohio State. more than 92% of the students were in the top 25% of their class. With your GPA I’m guessing you did not make the top 25%… so the question you need to ask is what are the chances that you be one of the rare 8% to get in without being in that portion of their high school class.</p>
<p>At Kenyon (the real reach on your list, IMHO) 0% were admitted with a GPA below 2.69.</p>
<p>Make sure you have a safety… perhaps an OSU regional campus or another school.</p>
<p>I think University of Cincinnati is a clear safety.</p>
<p>UC is NOT a safety with a 2.3 GPA. Fewer than 1% of accepted students had a GPA that low.</p>
<p>Of course you’re right and I certainly don’t mean to be argumentative, but I imagine most UC students don’t have his SAT’s (2090, (CR700, M680, W710)) or life story.</p>
<p>That is true. The 75%ile is some where around 1900. That’s what makes this student’s admission so thorny. A very poor GPA and great SATs. A good GPA would make UC a safety. According to the UC common data set the OP’s URM status won’t help him (it’s not considered). The most important criteria are class rigor, class rank, GPA and scores. The App Essay is important and ECs are considered. That’s all. The scores are what bring the OP into the toss-up range.</p>
<p>I just want to say your story is really inspiring. I’m sorry for all you’ve had to go through, but it’s so so admirable how you still maintain your spark and ambition. Many people faced with your situation would not even be thinking of college, but you’re so proactive. If I were an admissions officer at any university I would admit you no question! I don’t mean to give you false hope and of course the GPA makes it rather tricky to know where you stand. But just wanted to say I hope everything works out for you and I think you’re an amazing person. :)</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad, I agree with you. I don’t consider anything a safety, I’m all too aware that with my GPA, all of these schools are hit or miss. Thank you Quomodo, I’m appreciative of all of the encouragement, but “amazing” person seems like a bit of an overstatement lol. It’s hard to believe but the people on this thread have been more encouraging than the people I’m usually around! But it feels good! 
All I really have to hope for is a bit of luck, luck that at least one of the schools will take everything into context and see that behind the numbers is a kid that really wants to learn and see from the recs that I’m capable of producing high quality work when I can really concentrate on myself.
My circumstances, haven’t been the best and they’ve brought some obstacles but even still I’m grateful for what they have done for me. The neighborhood my school serves is approximately 45% Black, 30% White, about 23% Hispanic. A solidly working-class to impoverished area with high crime but with many backgrounds. Some are families of immigrants, some are descendants of families that were extremely wealthy generations ago, some have never known anything but lower-class conditions for generations, however we’ve all conformed to this current environment, my friends come from a variety of ethnic groups, backgrounds, etc. At the very least these circumstances have given me insight and shaped my views on many sides of the spectrum and taught me self-reliance. I’m also hoping that these schools see someone that, for better or worse, has taken in this amount of life experience he’s been exposed to.</p>
<p>Also, if everything works out with undergrad and if it’s possible, I’d want to heavily consider grad school</p>
<p>Go to a junior college for two years, and kick as much academic butt as you can while you polish off those lower-division reqs. Go there with a goal, work hard, finish up, and then transfer. If you do this, you likely will be more prepared for a traditional 4-year school, and they won’t look at your high school gpa. </p>
<p>America is full of second chances, but you need to make good on those second chances.</p>
<p>I think with your story and writing skills you’ll have a great chance of getting into school and I wish you luck, I don’t have much advice on schools in Ohio.</p>
<p>However, once you are accepted into college and are settled down and feeling comfortable I’d strongly recommend taking advantage of the school’s counseling and physcological services. You’ve been through a lot in your life and it seems like everyday has been a battle for you. Once a person doesn’t have to fight anymore and is comfortable and happy with their lives they have the time and energy to realize how much they’ve been through and how it has affected them. Some people feel like something is wrong with them if they seek counseling, or feel weak/scared, but it’s only having a conversation with someone - it’s good for you! :)</p>
<p>Best of luck, keep up the great work!</p>
<p>Please let us know what schools you get into.</p>
<p>You don’t have to go to community college. The places that people mentioned are great options. Just be certain to detail your story in your essays and/or to admissions. Clearly you are bright but have an extra burden that makes life difficult. Don’t give up!</p>
<p>Hey Benizakura, how did things work out for you? Where were you admitted and where are you going?</p>
<p>I don’t mean to scare you but it is very abnormal for a 17 year old male with a healthy immune system to get recurrent oral thrush and intestinal infections. If this is a real post I would highly suggest you get an HIV test. Good luck with everything and stay strong.</p>