Have you done any cheer coaching with kids? That seems like it would be a natural step for you.
It’s hard to know what would be match/reach/safety schools for you without stats (and financial and geographical constraints as well), but as an overall trend it is less common for the very most elite schools to have some of the more practical undergraduate majors like early childhood and elementary education. (There are exceptions, like Vanderbilt for example.) But I wonder if you would like a program like Clark University’s that blends education with sociology https://www.clarku.edu/programs/major-or-minor-community-youth-and-education-studies-cyes . Clark is also particularly know for its psychology programs, so it could be a good place to explore both possibilities. https://www.clarku.edu/programs/major-psychology There’s also a course sequence specifically in school psychology, for psych majors who are interested in that aspect of clinical practice. Clark’s signature “LEEP” approach is designed to “help you build the confidence to tackle academic and personal challenges of increasing complexity and depth” https://www.clarku.edu/academics/undergraduate-academics/whats-leep
Of course this is just one proof-of-concept example, but in general in your situation, I would be looking for places that would not force a decision about your major too early but would allow for exploration… and for places that would do what Clark’s philosophy describes - give you a well-engineered and well-supported path to the confidence you hope to be gaining along with your education.
If you haven’t had any counseling or coaching in the past, around your shyness, it might be something to consider, not just in preparation for college, but also as a first step toward a possible career as a provider yourself. Experiencing clinical work from the client’s perspective is generally a required part of becoming a psychologist. Even trying out an online app like Joyable or Talkspace could give you some really helpful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools and connect you with a remote coach or counselor that you could continue with through the college transition, no matter where you went, if you were finding it helpful.
Of course I don’t know much about you, so this is all in the spirit of “throw it against the wall and see what sticks.” ![]()