Is my plan going to work out or no? (high school senior who wants to go to a top university)?

Good grades and SAT scores are an important criteria for getting in to Ivy league (or equivalent) schools, but what will really set you apart to the admissions team is your extracurricular work, such as volunteering, sports, research, or writing that you show a consistent interest in. The more lofty these achievements are (such as working as a lab aide in a research facility at a local college and keeping an extensive notebook or journal of your work there), the more likely you will stick out from the rest of the kids with perfect scores and grades, of which there are many, many, many. They look for long-term investment, and will take note if you jump around from subject to subject (coaching a little league team one year and then spending your summer in Africa on a elephant reserve the next, and the next year something else). They are also wise to kids who pile on extracurricular "resume building" items their senior year, with nothing to show for the last three years. In fact, if your appear to be self-directed and motivated enough, they may even consider less than sterling scores a moot point. But I must stress they look for extremely unique achievements. Another factor is your admission essay, which is basically a letter that should explain why they want you, not why you want them. Point out what you can give, not what you hope to take. It's also important to show you've done your research about the school, and have a compelling reason why you share the same academic ideals or principles. A strong essay along with a strong resume will open more doors for you than another kid with your same scores and nothing else to show. I was accepted into three Ivy schools, and I'm just ping along what I learned from an expensive college preparatory counselor and a bunch of Princeton Review cles my folks forked over the money for. I was basically forced at gun-point to go to school by my family, and they were beating this into me from birth. They're also all professors themselves, and understand college admissions systems well. Hope this helps.