College?

First thing is this - did either of your parents attend Princeton? Have either of them made a considerable donation?

I think the GPA should be 4.0 or maybe a little lower (one A- might be okay). You have to nail the SAT. There have been changes in the format of the test, since I was in school, but when I sat for the GRE a couple of years ago the written portion was a topic they presented, so you have to be quick on your feet.

The Ivy League schools have good reputations, but don't always score well on student satisfaction.

When you are writing a "killer" essay, you have to focus on your AUDIENCE and your PURPOSE. Who is going to read your essay and why, without these, your writing just sits on the shelf . . . collecting dust (and that's how you're suppose to use elipses ( . . . ), for grammar). Get a writing manual: I use A WRITER'S REFERENCE by Diana Hacker. And like sexwiseman said: google BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS. And, do some homework about what it takes to get into Princeton. Your a half-hour away, go to the admissions office and talk to some people, go on a tour of the school. The school should have some kind of office of academic support, and information services (oasis, sometimes that's what it's called at different schools). But don't just look at this school.

It may not be the school for you, you never know. And don't worry about your parents so much, they are not going to do your homework. But like, take some time to decide on what area you are going to focus on in college, because there may be a better college that suits you and the program that you may want to get into. And like, I didn't even go to college after high school, I waited five years, and got into retail management in the meantime. But like sexwiseman said, they counted the management experience as leadership qualities (which it was), and it was a wicked boost towards their decision.

And, even after five years, I still got into a four year college that best suits what I want to do in my future. But like, even with something like grammar, they update writing manuals and rules of writing, and also essay styles all the time (just like text books), you could look up MLA (modern language association), that's what I use. It's just a format for writing, it helps. I always have to look at these thing when writing. But oh yeah, audience and purpose: you know your audience is a bunch of - too educated for their own good-type people, lol, so I would write about personal experience if you can.

And educate these people in something you may have had to learn the hard way, or just found really interesting. And your purpose is for these people to be like "Wow, I really want to make an appointment/ interview w/ this person to learn more about them to see if they really have what it takes to be "Princeton Material." And details, details, details, you know your essay and can imagine what is happening . . . sometimes the reader has difficulty in doing that.

Well I don't think your ready... a 3.8 on the SATS? Thats not possible its out of 2400 wtf is a 3.8 if your talking about your GPA. Well then your grammar won't get you into any school. Good personality? What school doesn't want that... These are the first steps in learning about college, its not a joke... If you don't even know what the SATS are based on, then community college looks like the place your going.

Killer essay?
Time to go to Barnes and Noble and look for any of these books:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/
102-5510328-9942511?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords
=college+admission+essay

Also, you need to look at the Princeton admission process; many times each university has their own topic for essays to write...

Leadership experience:
Time to join any of the clubs in school, and become a leader. Or you can do outside projects like be a church youth leader or anything else that is some type of leadership position...mine was being involved in the yearbook and an officer in the national honor society.
I didn't go to Princeton, but extracurricular activities are always a plus.