There are 35,700 high school in the US. All of them have a #1 student. Yale doesn’t accept only #1s. They take students who are ‘at the top’ of their class. Let’s say the top 5 students at any school are within range academically. That is 178,500 potentially qualified applicants. If even 20% of those have the test scores that bring them into range, and half of them apply to Yale, that is still 17,800 applicants. (Actually, they had 29,000 in 2013 - so I’m being too conservative here.) The class size is 1,300. They admit around 2,000. And that’s not taking into account the hooked candidates who get a leg up. Drop your chances another 25%. As you can see, your chances are very slim.
So…broaden your lens to take in all the outstanding colleges that those 178,500 top students will be applying to. Most of the top 100 school will give you an outstanding education if you take advantage of the opportunities they provide. The next 100 will do an admirable job - again, if you take advantage of what is on offer.
Strategy? Apart from good grades and test scores (which are the two most important factors by a long shot), is what your family can afford. Harsh reality, but true. Next, it’s about what you want to do with your education, what you love most, where you are trying to end up - there is not one, but a dozen schools that can meet that need for you. Find them. And lastly, it about developing yourself beyond what the class-room has to offer: You can do it through your ECs - try a few, find the two or three (not more) that excite you and compel you to invest yourself deeply. It can be anything - music, art, sports, volunteering, a job, a hobby, your religious organization, any intellectual passion that you pursue independently. And check out Cal Newport’s Study Hacks website for great advice for the ambitious student.