College pressure fro parents!!!?

If they are footing the bill you pretty much have to listen to them unless you have an alternative way to pay for it. Since, as you say, it is unlikely you will get into those top tier school, just go along with it. It's their money they are wasting on application fees. If you only get accepted to UM, problem solved. If you happen to make it in somewhere else, now is when to put up the fight, not now. You need to make your parents realize that it is your future, your education, and therefore should be your choice. If they don't listen to this logic and refuse to pay for you to go to t he school of your choice, you are probably out of luck unless you want to take out a bunch of loans