Answered by snickerdoodles
okay, now that I have more details, I can give you a better answer. I think you can get in to all of those schools. One thing that will be important (since BU and NYU are especially competitive) will be to show your admissions person that you have developed a passion in a discipline---in your case, English. I recently took some of my students on a college tou in Boston and one thing that we heard across the board (Boston College to Harvard) was that the most important thing is that your colleges see that you have been developing a passion about a specific discipline or subject. That means doing extra English stuff---editing a lit mag, writing a lot and trying to find internships, doing summer stuff, etc....all that showcase that you are serious about English and that you love it. Pad your transcript with English stuff next year---much more important than another AP class you don't plan to major in. Everyone who applies to both of those schools (and, I guess, Brandeis) already has a great GPA, scores, etc. Set yourself apart by showing that you are a passionate learner of English. I'm a believer in the private liberal arts college. I would recommend Sarah Lawrence, Vassar, Barnard, Amherst, Williams, Boston College, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr. All are very prestigious. At a smaller school, you will have a lot more opportunity---people will notice your gifts. A small college is more personal and you can get a really great education---and a lot of personal support in developing your passions.