I want to go to Ivy League. Help?!?

Most top schools, including ivies, have need-blind admissions - they don't ask if you can pay for it before admitting you. Almost everyone there is on scholarships for some part of the tuition. To get into a top school, you need fantastic grades and test scores, but everyone applying has that, and they only take about 10% of them or less. You also need something that makes you stand out from everyone else. Some kids have done this by starting a successful business or non-profit, publishing a novel, getting a patent, doing original scientific research and publishing it, winning a major prize, running for elected office outside of school, getting a record deal, things like that. Sound like a lot of work? It is - and the kids who do this usually don't do it to get into college, they would have done it anyway - and that's what the schools are looking for. Someone who really stands out.