<p>Stick to your guns, you will end up where you want. You may find it hard to believe, but you are actually in pretty good shape. If your real GC is pushing HYP, then you are essentially assured of admittance to the places you want to attend. Your goal now will be to convince your dad that you should apply to your real choices as safeties. Given the competition for the most selective schools on his list, even very top students are more likely to be denied admission. </p>
<p>Next step: make it very clear to your GC that you do not want to go to HYP and their cousins. This puts them in the bind of not wanting to push you too hard when they know you do not intend to attend if admitted. This destroys the GC's credibility with the college for the future. </p>
<p>From my alumni interviewing, I have met plenty of students who walked in, sat down, and politely told me that they had no interest in attending my alma mater. They were applying at the insistence of their parents. I felt sorry for wasting their time making them show up for an interview. I duly passed this information along to the admissions office. These kids were not admitted.</p>
<p>As long as you do a good job with your real applications, you can do some extras to please your dad, if you cannot get him to listen to you. Your Yale essay could well be on the topic of "why I don't want to go to an Ivy" (you may have to create some other essay to show your dad before you file).</p>
<p>With the number of top students who really want to go there, HYP do not have to admit anyone who does not want it. This will at least protect you from having to argue with your dad about where to go when you have an Ivy admit in hand.</p>