The older generation of Korean-Americans typically have the same old perception of the college admission system that they themselves grew up back in South Korea where they place the highest premium on test scores and grades. The social and psychological problems associated with the most intense college admission system in South Korea have now even made into the most popular and the highest-rated drama in Korean cable TV history, “Sky Castle.” This dark satirical drama should be seen by any Korean parents who resort to pushing their children relentlessly for the glory of “Seoul National University” or, in the case of Korean-Americans, the “Ivy League” (not-so-subtle hint to the OP).
A good friend of mine, a Seoul National University graduate, here in the states, thought that his son was so sure to get into the very top Ivy League colleges, based on perfect GPA and near perfect SAT scores, that his son applied only to HYP in the Ivy League. My friend was in for a shock. His son was rejected by all three. Good thing his son had a few other backup choices. My friend is not an exception among Korean-Americans in their lack of proper understanding of how the American college admission system works.
OP, you don’t have to earn perfect GPA, perfect SAT and graduate valedictorian in order to be accepted into any top schools. To give you a perspective on this matter, my son graduated 6/350 with just enough GPA and SAT/ACT scores to be within the “range” of acceptability. In his sophomore year, when for the first time he had expressed his desire to go for the valedictorian honor (he had straight A’s up to that point), I strongly dissuaded him from adding any more pressure upon himself. Instead, he was encouraged to spend more of his time not only on his significant EC’s (music) but also to enjoy all that high school had to offer so he’ll have zero regrets years down the road. Graduating 6th in his class, however, didn’t prevent him from successful college admission results. While perfect GPA, perfect SAT scores and being valedictorian in your class are certainly not required to enjoy successful entrances to top schools, you do need a way to distinguish yourself, however, to boost your chances through EC’s, essays, LOR’s, etc.