TargetTalk

I'm a junior rifle shooter trying to improve a great deal in a comparatively short amount of time. I only started competitive shooting this season (I'm starting the second semester of my junior year of high school) and I'm trying to get my scores to a collegiate level before I start the process of applying. I've been watching the MEC training videos obsessively for my at-home training, and bought an older edition of Ways of the Rifle from the internet, but I can't afford to buy a whole lot of equipment like is used in those videos. Any recommendations would be very much appreciated!

Try to find a local club that shoots competitions. 4-H, CMP, NEW and JROTC offer many youth opportunities.

Dry firing, Visualization and practicing getting into position cost nothing.

+1 to find a club if you can.

I've had limited success putting a laser pointer on my gun (pistol) and recording as I dry fire, looking for a smooth settle into the target and no jump when triggering the gun. Set up a second target under your main target and align the laser pointer on the lower target, so it is not in your view, but the camera can follow the gun movements.

If you don't already have one, get a coach.
The problem is, you cannot watch yourself as you are shooting. A video may not work either, if you don't know what to look for.
A coach can watch you and see if you are doing something that you may not be aware that you are doing. They know what to look for. And they have the experience to help you to improve.
I improved much faster with a coach than a book or videos or any other tool.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.
My rifle coach told me that to improve, you have to practice 4-6 times a week. Less and you are at maintenance level.
You need to budget for ammo/pellet and target cost for all that practice.
Practice is not only sending lead downrange, there are other parts to practice, such as physical and mental conditioning.

As @JDMANN said, try to get into competitions.
Shooting a match is very different than shooting an air rifle at home or by yourself at a range. The pressure goes up, and your score goes down. It is about learning how to manage the pressure/stress of a match. Many of us have two scores, practice and match; and the match score is usually lower than practice.

I found that I do better in solo sports (like golf and shooting), when I have someone better than me to compete against, rather than just myself. It makes me try harder, and gets me to improve. The trick is to find a partner that is better than you who is willing to shoot with you, cuz they likewise probably want to find a shooter better than them to shoot with. Which is one reason to shoot at clubs.

Gud Luk