I’m a freshman in high school now, and my mom and dad are telling me to start looking for scholarships and apply for said scholarships. They also won’t be able to pay the tuition for this University as they have three kids. So I’m on my own here. I’m doing my best and searching on the Web. The only thing is, I REALLY want to go to Cornell, but I know that the acceptance rate is low (if you didn’t know, it’s 14.1%) and I don’t know if I’ll be able to even qualify for this University. It’s been my dream college ever since 6th grade and I even have a Cornell hoodie. If any of you have any ideas of how to help me out of this situation and light a fire under me so I can start getting my butt in gear and applying, it would be greatly appreciated! I need inspiration and motivation! Thanks!
Most students apply for scholarships senior year.
if your siblings will be in college at the same time, you can get more financial aid, Cornell is a “meets 100% demonstrated need” school
Please remember most kids find the right school, and it isn’t always the one they thought it was. Focus on doing your best in HS, and figuring out what you’re passionate about, and what you want to do for a living.
Thank you! My siblings are both younger than me and I’m doing my best in high school. My class rank is 125 out of 405 and I already know what I’m passionate about; Veterinary Medicine. It might be a stretch, but I want to be a Veterinary Cardiologist. Hope it’s not too much to ask. 
Very good advice by @grotonMAdad. At this point you should be focusing on doing well in high school. This includes doing well in class, participating in ECs that interest you, spending some time with friends, and keeping the stress under control (too many high schools students in the US are too stressed out). What you might want to do for a living should also have some influence on where you will end up going to university.
You should be aware that there are a LOT of very good universities in the US. When I was going back to graduate school, Cornell was my first choice. I didn’t get in, and had to attend my second choice – which I loved and where I did very well. Keep an open mind, look at a range of schools, and find some that are a good fit for you. This should include finding some match and safety schools that are a good match to what you want in a school.
But, you have a long time before applying to universities. Don’t worry about it much right now.
Okay, thank you for the advice! I appreciate it so much!
Right now, don’t think about college. Getting through HS with good stats and ECs is no joke. Sometimes harder than doing well in college.