<p>Finances matter, so if you haven’t already done so, run one of the FAFSA forecasters to find out what you and your family would be expected to pay. Tell your parents the number, and begin the discussion about paying for college. There are colleges which are known for being generous with money, so do some research on those; there are a couple of pinned threads on that. To attract merit money, apply to a few schools where your stats would put you near the top of the incoming freshman class.</p>
<p>It’s OK that you really don’t know what you want to do at this point. But you might start thinking about what you’re looking for in a college besides warm weather and parties. Do you think you’d be happier at a large school or a small one? Urban, suburban, rural? In general, are you more drawn to the sciences, math, English/literature, a language, or something else? These are some of the filters that you can use to focus your search. And definitely get yourself a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.</p>
<p>As far as ECs, don’t push yourself into sports if that’s not your natural inclination. Choose something that grabs you and pursue that instead.</p>
<p>As a parent, I have to say I’m a little concerned about how important partying is to you, especially your comment that you “know how to control yourself.” Are you talking about alcohol/drugs? Because if you’re already doing that in 10th grade, it just isn’t a good thing that partying is one of your top criteria in a college.</p>