a little update or clarification lol. don’t know if anyone will ever actually see this. both my parents are college-educated but they went to school in China. anyways my dad is really, let’s say, hands on with this whole process. i think he’ll loosen up a bit when it comes to college app season but currently he’s pushing for me to score 1500+ on the SAT (retaking in August, I currently have a 1470) as if my life depends on it. i’m talking 2 hours (it was 3 last night) and i’m still 4 months out. he also have very strong opinions on where i should and should not apply. now i know i should not let him control so much, it’s not him going to college. but what do i do except listen to him and agree? he thinks i should avoid the midwest and south (probably the only point i agree on but unlike him, I’m open to suggestions) and that i should not even consider ANY “colleges” (as in, institutions that are only 4-year with no grad school. ex. Swarthmore, Amherst, Barnard, Haverford). He’s also strongly against me going to the Chicago area or anywhere near it (sorry, Northwestern). not only that but he doesn’t want me considering “lower” colleges (CSUs, ASU, etc). I obviously need a safety even if i don’t want to go to a CSU and just Merced is not gonna cut it. maybe around college app season he’ll loosen the reins a little bit but i highly doubt that he’s going to stop controlling or “giving his opinions so that i have a better future” anytime soon. i brought up the Swarthmore fly in the other day since I’ve looked into it and I really liked swarthmore (in part because it was the first “college junk mail” i got from CB and i was intrigued), but he flat out laughed at me and asked me “you’re not seriously considering it, right?”. as much as i don’t want to admit it, that hurt a bit. this is turning into a rant but i genuinely need some advice. y’all have been super helpful and i don’t want to trouble y’all any longer :(( but it would really be greatly appreciated for any advice.