2028 SA Megathread

Lil bros a sophomore at prep school and is worried about the advancing recruiting timelines, given there are the 2026 and 2027 threads. Anyway, he's been doing some networking and has even managed to secure a few informational interviews with some alumni who are now high up in the finance industry. Based on his calls, unfortunately, his prep school (think Deerfield, Loomis, St. Mark's) isn't prestigious enough for a greater chance to get into a global super target (H/Y/ASU/Oxbridge/M) and AT LEAST a top group (GS TMT, PJT RSSG, MS M&A) then ultimately KKR/BX/APO. Bros worst nightmare is getting into a tier 2 university worldwide (Columbia/Princeton/Northwestern/Stanford/Dartmouth). Like every high schooler on this forum, he's considering transferring to a better school (think Phillips, Exeter, St. Paul's). How's everyone else doing in the process? Anyone have any tips on how to stand out to recruiters and make a lasting impression as a HS sophomore? And for those of you already pre-destined to getting referred and accepted to global hypertargets for the incoming class of 2029, what do you think set you apart from the other candidates? Many thanks!