<p>It is extremely difficult for anyone to get into an "ivy league" school. There are about 3500 four-year colleges in the US and 1.2 million high school graduates each year. The competition at the top 12 or 15 colleges in the US is absolutely insane. Based on your comments that you haven't taken the SAT and that you don't think your score will be that high, I would recommend that you aim a little bit lower. There are hundreds of top colleges in the US, and any one of them will be great for you. </p>
<p>Getting financial aid for international students is very hard. Only a few of the better colleges offer any aid to internationals. However, if you are a "permanent resident - alien" (you have a green card), then you will qualify for normal financial aid just like US citizens. You will complete some forms and based on that, they will decide how much money you can contribute towards your education. The amount they expect you to contribute may be higher than you expect. They base your financial aid on your parent's ability to pay. Also, there is no guarantee that they will fulfill all of your need, but they are pretty good about trying. You shouldn't worry too much about how much the cost of attendance is for the colleges that you apply to. If the college is more expensive, you will just get more financial aid. </p>
<p>The dates for applying to college vary, but it is basically over for this year, especially since you haven't taken the SAT and TOEFL yet. The normal admissions cycle starts in December and January for admission to colleges in the following Fall. You should schedule your SAT and TOEFL tests so that they have been completed by the end of this year, chose which colleges you want to apply to, and then complete those college applications. If you attended high school abroad, you will need to have your high school transcripts sent from the foreign country. The Deadlines will vary from the beginning of December to the middle of March. They will let you know if you have been accepted or not by April 1st. Then classes start at the end of August or the beginning of September.</p>
<p>There is more that I could say, but this should get you started. If you have any questions, ask.</p>