u/BeeMedical8474

Basically title. I got a 1500 on the SAT and 3.9 GPA, so not terrible stats. The problem is my ecs, I have a part-time job and some volunteering, but nothing crazy. I'm happy with my profile, and I really just want to go to a school like Stony Brook or Rutgers. I asked my parents for any suggestions on what I should be looking for in colleges and now its become a whole thing about t20s. They told me I'm likely to get rejected from jobs if I don't go to a place like Yale, Harvard, or Stanford. They're telling me to 'just apply' because I might as well, but I've told them I don't want to write a bunch of school-specific essays for insane reaches. My mom told me I should just do the common app so I didn't have to fill out multiple applications (she doesn't know how the common app works). I would just ignore it but they're literally asking me everyday now if I've started my [insert t20 here] application. My mom got me on the phone with her friend and she asked me if I've heard of MIT. Like I just don't know what to do because at this point its just making me sad that I'll be disappointing them by going to a less selective school (Mom went to Michigan, dad went to Berkeley).

I do online school, i’m a senior, and the only social media I have is twitter. In 1:1/workplace conversations, I think I do well (I’ve read how to win friends). In group settings (especially peer group settings) I feel very weird and awkward. Like, I sound too formal or quiet. Then I get in a loop of “just don’t care” and think too much on how to be in the moment. I feel like an old woman but also a little kid who doesn’t know what’s going on.

I would really like any advice on how to be more relatable or sociable around peers, without requiring frequent reps.