Guys and gals, I agree with you on the premise that having kids is a challenge and she should be commended for trying to do Pharmacy School. However, I tend to be a realist, not a romantic.
There are two clear things that are going against this woman. I have no idea what her GPA or PCAT score is because she has not stated so, nor do I know if this is her first, second, third, fourth, or whatever time (year) she has applied. What she has stated is that it would be difficult for her to improve her credentials significantly (seems like she will admit to this), so telling her that she should continue to hope for something that currently is not there for her may never be there for her either. But no one know how many times she has tried, so we are all guessing on that.
The second thing going against her is geographics. Unfortunately she lives in one of the most populous states in the US, and slots there are amplified. She should be commended that she has children, but if someone else has better scores (and being in a populous state, you wouldn't have to go far), it would be difficult for those schools to deny them.
If this woman chooses a smaller school, perhaps one with less competition, her chances would be much better. Smaller schools will take other factors into account because they receive fewer applications, while the megopolis schools are under time constraints, so they tend to quantify students (identify them through PCAT scores/GPA).
Believe me, if I were on the admissions committee, I would definitely give this lady an interview and make a strong argument to the committee to give this woman a chance at Pharmacy School.
Just because her situation is unique does not give her a right to go anywhere. Don't bite my head off, but put yourself in the shoes of the admissions committee. Is the probability that she completes Pharmacy School better or worse since she has a bundle of other commitments? That is a risk, because a qualified young student with no commitments would have a better chance of completion.
My mother completed Nursing School while she had three kids in elementary/middle/and high school (one of each). It was definitely difficult, but she did it and I know that this lady can too. But Pharmacy School is much more competitive than Nursing School (probably not even comparable), and admitting one person to Pharmacy School means denying someone else.
Simply, a smaller school would give her situation more credence. She should use that to her advantage and stop spinning her wheels at schools that are just too competitive. She can always move her family (her husband could take a job somewhere else if it was necessary). This is an extremely difficult decision that only she will have to make (none of us will). I'm just trying to expand her thinking and not reiterating encouragement that she can find in 99 percent of the population.
In any event, I DO want this woman to succeed.