here’s the thing. i’m a junior at a private christian school, and academically, it absolutely sucks here. no ap classes are offered, we don’t get taught on the correct grade level, no clubs or after-school activities. they don’t prepare us for college at all. i didn’t even know what the SAT or ACT was until last year. i don’t feel as smart as the kids that go to the local public high schools, it’s making me feel really discouraged. and i’m afraid that if i do somehow get into college, i won’t be well-prepared.
moreover, i want to study for the SAT and teach myself all of the things they don’t teach at my school. but the problem is, i don’t know how to do it exactly… i’m planning to use primarily khan academy but will that even be enough? true be told i’ve never really studied a day in my life, but going to college is something i genuinely want to do. i just want to be prepared, but i don’t know how to prepare myself 
Studying for the SAT/ACT on Kahn Academy is a great start. If you can take a prep class or hire a private tutor - even better.
Start studying for tests now. Just because you have never studied in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t become self-disciplined and do so. Google “how to study” and you will see all sorts of strategies.
The other thing I strongly suggest you start doing to prepare for college is to read. Read for pleasure. Make reading a part of your daily habit. Being a strong reader will help you handle college level work and help you understand all that you will learn in your future.
Good luck.
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what classes does tour school mandate? What have you taken, year by year?
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do most students go on missions or (non selective) Bible college?
Will your guidance counselor help you? -
will your parents be open to the idea of your going to college? A Christian college? A Christian but non Evangelical (Catholic, ELCA, Methodist…) college? A public university?
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do you have a GPA? Even if your school isn’t good academically, can you say YOU rank at about the top academically?
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college is not just intellectual but about everything else that makes you a person.
advice for ECs + intellectual preparation: go nowhere without a book. If you’re allowed to, read broadly from the public library. If not, classics bare acceptable to all (typically, classical Western literature - Ancient Greece and Rome + European literature through the 20th century - are acceptable to Evangelical schools since they tend to emphasize Western classics. Cart that book with you and read whenever you can. Try to keep notes in a sort of ‘intellectual journal’.
Same thing with films. Most classics and Foreign films are unrated and on offer in public libraries. Rent documentaries. Record thoughts in Intellectual Journal.
Does your school offer sports? Evangelization, door to door witnessing…? Music? Join one where you can shine and become a star. 
{At the end of junior year or start of senior year, ask the person in charge of the team/group/ club for a recommendation}
Don’t discount the debate possibilities in Bible study. Become adept at selecting guiding materials that tend to be throught-provoking and offer to be a Bible study leader for the middle school group.
Be involved with your church.
Get a job.
All these activities will “count” for college applications and should be acceptable for your school&family.
I agree…read read read.
Use Khan Academy daily.
Also consider starting at a community college for 2 years and then transferring after two years.
If possible take a course or two at community college or online to see where you stand and also to add rigor to your resume.
If you feel community college courses are too difficult then seriously consider two years there before you are ready to transfer to a 4 year college.
As far as extracurriculars, you can take initiative and start a club at your school, join some recreational sports team in area, volunteer at church or hospital etc.
Good luck. If you kept up the hard work and passion, you’ll go far.
Only read if you like reading. If your a STEM guy, dont waste your time. Don’t force yourself to do things because they will “look good” for colleges, or because people say that they will. Do something that is beneficial and fun/challenging for you
@macprobook You are sorely mistaken - reading is critical for STEM. I taught STEM (biology) at college, and I can tell you that the quality of writing on an exam or a lab report had a strong effect on the grade that a student received. That is in addition tho the fact that STEM requires high levels of creativity, and reading is one of the best ways to develop creativity.
I have also known dozens of people with Masters and PhDs in STEM fields from mechanical engineering to molecular biology to nuclear physics, and every single one of them was a voracious reader. Without reading, none of them would likely have had the creativity required to produce the original research that is required for a PhD thesis (and even for a master’s thesis)
Please do not believe that in STEM you don’t need to be a strong reader and writer. That just isn’t true in the work world and in the academic world.
Reading (and comprehending) is a large component to academic, professional, and personal success. As Mark Twain wrote, “Little separates those who don’t read from those who can’t read” (or something very close to that).
Especially today when there is so much information available online. Being able to consume, digest and analyse is pretty important.
Reading is good for writing research papers.
I don’t about creativity… It sounds like bogus to me. How could reading a book increase creativity? I am not convinced that you should read as a STEM major.
At the end of the day, I suppose reading can be useful in the long run, but the amount of time put into reading, versus, the amount of time that could be put into stem is really hard to say. Reading textbooks/documents/papers is necessary and obviously you shouldn’t be illiterate. I would say to read as long as you enjoy it.
@macprobook: adults here who have been through this know that exposure to ideas through their many forms, is the basis for creativity. It’s an illusion to think you create out of nothing. The ability to think creatively comes from knowing a lot in a lot of different fields and finding unsuspected links.
In any case, @yunijin is attending a school where learning is restricted by faith edicts; as a result, books are likely the main or sole means of pursuit for his/her goals.