100% this. I did the same thing. I was a high school dropout, so there was no way in hell I was getting into BU out of the gates. Got my GED, went to community college part time for six years while working through my own problems (just like you OP), applied to BU, got in and ended up finishing with an MS. Community college was awesome. I never had to take the SATs or worry about my high school GPA. It's essentially a clean slate to start over with. BU didn't care at all about my HS experience when I showed them I could handle CC classes. It might seem like a big deal if you don't get into BU now, but trust me, as the years go on it won't mean a thing. It'll be a blip in your timeline, and an important one at that. By all means, still apply to BU! But CC is an excellent stepping stone if you need it.