Also, if there is any school that you are even thinking about applying to that offers EA, apply and don’t be lazy about it.
I would suggest doing a lot of research into what constitutes a reach/match/safety. There are more kids with 2250 SATs and 4.0 unweighted GPAs than there are openings at highly selective schools. Stats alone aren’t getting you into Notre Dame or Cornell. They might not get you into Case Western. Write your essays like your future depends on it.
@greeninohio I see what you did there 
Junior year is probably the most important regarding grades and testing. Senior year is stressful with all the deadlines for college and scholarship applications. Take some demanding classes but don’t overload.
I would agree about applying early action. Waiting until April really sucks. Also, I would really evaluate why you are applying to a college. Sometimes we apply for superficial reasons and end up having acceptance letters to schools we don’t even like.
My biggest advice would be to start your essays EARLY, like during the summer before senior year if possible. You’ll likely change it around a ton, but it will be helpful to at least have the framework to start with. I procrastinated my essays and I can tell you that it SUCKED having to try to come up with a meaningful topic and way to tell it on a tight deadline, not to mention edit it to perfection.
Also, really research the schools on your list, especially for the “student life” factor- don’t apply somewhere you know you wouldn’t be happy. Visiting colleges during junior year would definitely help a lot with that… Good luck!