<p>I'm currently a would-be senior retaking my junior year. I've technically dropped out of high school, but will be reenrolling this coming September. </p>
<p>I've been abused since I was a kid and 9th grade it got progressively worse. Sophomore year I was removed from my house, placed back in, was hospitalized for intent to commit suicide, manic depression, and removed once more from my house, placed in an illegal shelter, and had to fight DYFS to even remain at my private school despite tuition being paid already.</p>
<p>The next year I had been placed living with my emotionally abusive boyfriend, dealing with various therapists for depression, and dealing with a disorder called selective mutism which I also had from a young age, on top of post traumatic stress disorder. The SM was a fixation of my foster father's which he agitated until I was too terrified of him to so much as leave my room except for school or speak to my foster family for several months.</p>
<p>The emotional stress made my already poor health worse and I was kicked out of my private school mid junior year for a combination of poor attendance and running away from home. I later had to withdraw from my public school so DYFS wouldn't be hit with truancy charges when I was still too sick for school ( but mainly to save their attendance record).</p>
<p>My grades, as you might guess, are horrible. I can't recall the grades themselves, but they were dismal and spotty. In some classes I did flawlessly, while other's I failed. There's a whole line of explanations for those three years to explain my grades.</p>
<p>I've already been told to explain all the circumstances to admissions officers before I even apply. </p>
<p>My main question is, what exactly will colleges be counting? I've heard freshman grades don't count, but will the rest be counted? Some told me that class selection will be taken into account, but not the grades themselves. My official school GPA will be quite high as it will only consist of my public school grades.</p>
<p>I don't really trust anything anyone here tells me though, as the "experts" have a habit of being less informed than myself. </p>
<p>If the grades are considered, will a rather high SAT help out? Without the writing section, I believe I last scored a 1420 and I know I can raise both significantly. (I'd be willing to say I can get a good 60 points higher with the math alone. Not to sound cocky, I just know with the state I was in that's no way even close to my best.)</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for your help!</p>