Your parents are misinformed about Stanford. It's true there are some schools at which demonstrated interest is important, but they generally tell you so on their website. WUSTL cares, Tufts does, so do many LACs. Many schools striving to climb in the rankings care because they don't want to be used as a safety (or least-liked "top" choice) for those aiming at top schools. LACs tend to care because the fit is so important at a small school.
However Stanford and many other top schools don't care, and they say so.
Quote:
Does Stanford show preference in the admission process for students who have demonstrated their interest by visiting, calling and emailing?
Not at all. Contacting the Admission Office is neither a requirement nor an advantage in our admission process. We offer campus tours and information sessions to provide you with the information you need to make an informed college choice, not to evaluate you. And we welcome calls and emails for the same reason. Please do not feel compelled to contact us to demonstrate your interest in Stanford; we know by the very fact of your applying that you are seriously interested in Stanford. We don’t keep records of prospective student contacts with our office.
Stanford | Applying to Stanford | Frequently Asked Questions |
You can show this to your parents; however this may just be a battle you can't win. Their reply may very well be "that's what they SAY, but really they care"
BTW if you are of the caliber to play Division-I and you're interested in doing so at Stanford, be sure to contact the coaching staff to see if you could be recruited for your sport(s). HUGE advantage!