2. Your rank in class and your SAT scores are far more important than everything else. Just work hard in class and everything should fall into place. The essay is remarkably unimportant in most cases.

3. For staying sane, remember that there is no one right school. There are over a thousand colleges and universities in the United States, and there will be a lot of them where you can get a good education and enjoy yourself.

4. For finding the right school, if you have the time and money, visit a bunch of places. Get a feel for the different styles of schools – big state universities, small liberal arts colleges, private universities, and depending on your subject of interest, perhaps consider some specialized schools.