Don't try. No matter how hard you work, the top level schools are a crapshoot and you will wind up with the mouth breathers who were just inspired enough to put pen to paper long enough to fill out an application to community college and be no better off than if you would have just been like them and slacked off for 12 years. I have been crying all night and haven't been able to eat for 2 days now, both from stress before and depression after I got rejected. My dad has cancer and he called me after I texted him the news and he actually started crying and told me that he was crushed. I started crying because I realised he might not even live long enough to see me get in anywhere. He was so proud of me and my scores and how hard I worked and now it's all for nothing.