Do your best. In particular, this summer, make it a goal to read 5 books from start to finish. (You can include a graphic novel, and of course fiction or nonfiction, anything that interests you). This will help with English.
Carnegie Mellon can be as difficult to get into as Harvard for some specialties.
Rather than focusing on one “dream” school, start exploring colleges nearby.
Over the course of next year, make a plan visit your state’s flagship, a “directional” state college (like “Western University” or University of ), a small private college, a medium or religious college, a college in a city and a college away from an urban area.
Go without prejudice.
Write down your first impressions, but be ready to revisit them.
For instance, if you live in Ohio, you could visit Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Ohio University, tOSU, Youngstown University, John Carroll, Hiram, Case Western. That’s about two visits per month this summer, and one per quarter during the year. Should be doable if your parents are on board - and, if you explain you’re getting motivated to learn about colleges and how to best position yourself not only to get in, but also to win scholarships.
Or, perhaps, borrow the Fiske Guide, and/or Princeton Review’s best colleges, and read up on the colleges you’re planning to visit, write down the things you want to look for and what you derive from the description, then, after the visit, write how that compared/contrasted with the actual visit (“I expected… and it was quite different”, “I really looked forward to… and it didn’t disappoint”… “I really didn’t expect to find…”)
After your visits, next June, you’ll know what you like and what you don’t, and you’ll start thinking of your college list using characteristics you know match who you are. (Of course, betwen summer after freshman year, and senior year, you’ll likely change, but it’ll be a start!)
