Current sophomore coming from an above average public high school in northern VA. Grades all A’s so far and a few SAT scores (expecting 1500-1570) on the way. My EC’s are relatively basic (editor of newspaper, DECA competition, gov school) and I’m afraid I’ll just be another statistic when applying to elite (top 15) schools. I want to stand out. I’m currently interested in business, so I’d like to show my passion in that area. But how? Any advice would be appreciated. Really want to get into a school like Cornell or Penn for business.
Check out the book How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out) by Cal Newport http://amzn.to/2eQqa9l It answers this exact question.