get a credit card at a local bank to start, your parents must be there to sign

3 months after that apply for a fee free student card on your own, citi or discover have good ones

3 months after that i would go for the 2x citi AA for 100k + 2 other fee free cards (if you dont get the aa's yet at least you can add another 2 fee-free cards that you keep forever to help increase the average age of ur credit lines)

3 months after that either try again for the AAs or if you got those get the CSP and Amex SPG. by now you should be able to get most cards.

right now my partner is about 5 months in (so applications for the 2x citis coming up in january.. i havent tested this before but i think she might get accepted... i know another person who opened their first card, 8 months later applied and got accepted for the aa's)

i am 1/14 for the # of times an application has prompted income verification. if you have to call reconsideration be prepared to state the nature of your "self-employed" status, ie. graphic designer, mostly local work, current clients, earning details, etc. when i started getting cards i was also a senior in HS (this was 4 years ago).

anyone saying "don't get into the credit card game at this age" is just scared you won't pay off you're debt as this is the stereotype with us young ones. there is no reason not to get a card ASAP if you will 0 it out every month.