Should I apply to the University of Chicago?

The U. of Chicago is an excellent school -- very intellectual and academically competitive. It's not in the best part of Chicago (although the Hyde Park neighborhood around the campus is okay) and you'll have to take buses to get to the Loop or anywhere else in town. The climate is very different from Florida -- colder, grayer, wetter -- and you'll be a long way from home. It's also a very expensive school (although it may have generous financial aid). I'd strongly recommend that you visit the campus (while school is in session, if possible) to make sure this school is for you. Your parents have some valid concerns about the distance and the extra cost (airfare, transportation to and from airports, private school tuition rather that in-state tuition) of school in Chicago.