<p>One other tangential piece of advice since you are a junior. Get a good book about college admissions such as “Admission Matters” by Springer. Many HS students have the notion that any top-ranked school would be worth going to if they get in, considering rankings as the important measure of quality. In fact the student experience varies widely between schools of similar ranking – class size, approachability of profs, location, advising, etc. By reading a good book about the admissions process you’ll learn not only the nuts & bolts of preparing a strong app but also how to pick colleges that are a fit for you, to understand the financial aid process and the various types of aid that are offered, what to look for on college visits, etc.</p>