The issue seems to be that your high school doesn’t send many students to top schools and therefore, they aren’t familiar with what it takes. I don’t know much about the “culture of the Ivy league”. The Ivy League is an athletic league and a conference of academically strong schools.
There’s nothing intrinsically special about an Ivy League school when compared to say, Duke. I’d suggest you to apply to these academically strong schools because you seem to have what it takes. Perhaps schools that are easier to get into but may match you better include Tufts and Brandeis. They are fairly service oriented schools and are academically strong. Among the very same elite circle as the Ivies are other schools such as Chicago, Stanford, Georgetown, and MIT. The Ivies are all fairly liberal, and I can’t see you not fitting in.
The only way to find out whether you can get in, is to apply. Applications are expensive though.
Ohio State, Uni. of Maryland, Wake Forest, University of Southern California are not difficult for any applicant. Perhaps USC is difficult to get into for some students, but it’s certainly a match for you. Maryland and Ohio State may be safeties.