Agree happiness is important. I could be happy at Wisconsin, SMU or definitely Michigan - have friends at all three and have visited. I do not see myself at UConn as I do not have friends there and as I said, nobody that I can think of from my school has gone there. I don’t see it as keeping up with the Joneses, but I do have expectations for myself and I know my parents do, after a significant 12 year investment in a private education. If I wanted to go to UConn, I should have just gone to the local public high school, tbh. I think I should stretch to go to the “best” college I can, however one defines that, and it’s different for everyone - and no, I don’t go by USNWR rankings. I’ve visited Michigan and see myself there, am confident I can do the work and be happy. Admissions office might not agree! Hopefully they look at the upward trajectory of grades since freshman year, since the GPA is the weak flank.