I don't really have friends, or at least I don't consider myself as having any connections strong enough to be called friends (though others may think more positively of me than that), so I can't help. Still, the stuff about discords, chat and multis is sound. Or you can just strike it up with somebody on the forums. Maybe don't directly go to DM-ing everyone, but maybe somebody who responds to this thread is in your rank range and worth keeping an eye on, or has a playstyle or goals that you align with/admire. Or (shameless self-plug) you can keep an eye on my monthly challenges (maybe even participate yourself in the August one) and perhaps strike up a friendship with those in or around your bracket.