Since my last post, I've paid everything off except the Cap 1 with the balance transfer.

I' going to wait till the middle of next month to pull my FICO again.  Until then, I have been reading the posts from people that say they have scores in the 500, or the only card they have is a secured card or they have filed for bankruptcy, but its been some time, and that they recently applied for and were approved for a Citi card or a Chase Saphire card or a Discover Platinum card, with thousands of dollars as a credit limit.  A'm I doing something wrong or do they know something I don't or have I sinned in a previous life, or are none of these claims real?  Thanks!!