<p>Bottom line for the original poster: you absolutely do not have to attend an elite school to get a good job.</p>
<p>And it is sad when pressure to get into a top school affects high school life in terms of stress, and in preventing you from exploring genuine interests.</p>
<p>I hope that a guidance counselor or therapist can help this situation and, again, that counselor might be most effective if aware of the cultural factors involved in this kind of parental pressure.</p>