<p>RejectedFromMIT, it’s a painful process to put oneself up for evaluation and risk ‘rejection’ from faceless strangers, but it’s how all college applications are, and in later life, when you apply for jobs, it will be similar. (So think about founding a company!) The best advice available is to apply to a big enough set of your target colleges that you are reasonably sure of getting at least one acceptance. (I look on this problem as a probability problem - at the top colleges,even if you are a strong candidate there’s still considerable randomness to whether you will get in unless you have a hook, but at least each college outcome is an independent event, so apply to enough of the right sort for you qualifications, and you have a high probability of success.) Apply to a couple of safeties as well, and most important, don’t fall in love with ANY school until AFTER you are admitted! [I have been brainwashing my children with this last piece of advice since they started high school… :)]</p>