The "good grades, bad EC's" conundrum

Start your college selection with a safety that you know that you will get into and know that you can afford (be sure to talk to your parents about what the price limit is and use the college net price calculators). Most of the colleges on your list are reach-for-everyone; you would be competing with numerous applicants with 4.0 GPAs, top end test scores, and state or national level extracurricular achievement.