This is a very general question because I want many viewpoints, but how do I get on the right track for an ivy league school?
Try to get really high in your topic of interest and be an outstanding person overall. If you’re into CS, for example, make some significant computational artifacts, develop and release a few applications, intern with somebody, start or head a major club, go to a major competition and get in the top 1% or top 10, etc. If it makes you rich or famous or even otherwise significant, props to you!
Make sure you have comparable objective stats and GPA. If you can pull of a 34-35 ACT, great for you! If you can pull a 32+, you’re in the ballpark. If you’re below that, you either need to get it up or compensate. A 3.8-3.9 unweighted GPA will be somewhat expected; if you don’t have it, you’ll be disadvantaged. However, don’t expect a 4.0 to get you anywhere major in comparison to a 3.9.
Generally speaking, become somebody other people will want their school to have. If you can’t do that, don’t fret; not everybody can. Also, if you’re an underrepresented minority, have extreme passion is something (progressive movement people seem to be at an advantage), or can bring an uncommon and welcome perspective to the playing field, you’ll be more welcome.
Get great letters of recommendation, also. Maybe somebody other than a teacher if the colleges allow. Also, don’t wing the essays; make them original, introspective, and revealing, make them read like stories, maybe cater some of them to the colleges without blatantly sucking up, and have them read AT LEAST by your English teachers (preferably AP Lang/Lit). Parents may or may not be good; if they think that you need to “sell yourself” more, want to interject a bunch of stuff into it, or want to write/revise it themselves, you probably know that it’s time to bail on their involvement.
Anyways, just try your best and see what happens. Align yourself with some reaches (including ivies), matches, and reaches, and don’t forget that there are people who turn down ivies and other prestigious schools for ones that end up being better fits. On top of that, there are many top-students who get rejected to most if not all of them. Just apply (maybe pick one with a good ED advantage), and hope for the best.