My eldest sister went to Yale. I’m in 9th grade now and I feel so much desire to go to Harvard or Yale but I don’t think I have much talent in one special skill or department at all. I am average but occasionally have trouble with my grades (they’re okay–math isn’t helping), i’m good at swimming with the physique I have, but average overall (because i’m like 5’1 and weigh 85 pounds–working on my weight), I’m okay at piano, and i like art but I’m not really that good at it.
So I’m gonna try as hard as i can to go to Yale or Harvard, but I want to convince myself that ivy leagues aren’t everything. I have trouble though. What did you do to make yourself believe Ivy League colleges aren’t everything?
Maybe attain some role models besides your sister. Seeing that your other role models don’t need to go to Ivys but were still as successful in whatever way, might help you.
If you are engaged in your visits and ask questions, even the colleges that don’t appear to have certain qualities on their websites will likely have something that fits you, and there are many, many non-ivy schools that will give you an amazing education.
The one thing I would ask is this: why?
Why do you want to go to an Ivy? What do you think will be different by going to an Ivy?
Good colleges don’t make amazing people. It’s amazing people that make good colleges. If you genuinely want to learn because you care about making a difference in the world, it doesn’t matter what college you go to, because you’ll find a way. Funny enough, those are the people ivies are looking for, so know/find your why.
If that doesn’t ring a bell, just look at the stats on what colleges most executives, doctors, lawyers, etc. come from. Sure, some are from prestigious universities, but very few overall come from Ivies. Besides, its now easy to self-study for many professions such as computer science and the real benefit to going to college in those cases is networking and making connections. Ultimately, ivies are “nice-to-haves”. Start looking past college and think of what mark you want to leave on the world. You’ll find that whatever result you get will matter much, much less. 
Barack Obama graduated from Columbia, but he started out at Occidental. Steve Jobs went to Reed (and only briefly). Many senators graduated from their home states’ public flagship universities. Don’t worry about the “brand-name label.” Do your best, find activities that excite and inspire you, and you’ll find yourself in a good place. Pursuing the prestigious brand at the expense of everything else is a recipe for disappointment.
Your sister would be just as impressive if she’d gone to a lower ranked school. It isn’t the school that makes her as a human being. And it won’t be the school that makes you either.
For me, I look around at the people I admire: my teachers, my coaches, and my dad. All of them are happy and successful in their fields and living good lives. Most of my teachers went to Boise State or U of Idaho, my coaches went to C of Idaho or Rocky Mountain College, and my pops went to Montana State. None of them would have it any other way.
You’re a few weeks into 9th. Miles to go. Get involved, work on the academics, and grow.
In 2 years, you’ll have a better idea of your strengths and accomplishments. And, hopefully, an understanding how many great colleges are out there.