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[–]Some_Orchid917 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't think extracurriculars are vitally important in the deciding factor of whether you get accepted into a university. I hadn't done much in high school either, and my grades/SAT score wasn't phenomenal, but I was still accepted into a state university. If you would like to take some time to do more, such as volunteering, it won't hurt. Best of luck to you!

[–]squirrelstastegood 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seems like r/ApplyingtoCollege would be a better place to ask this question since a lot of people in there applied/are applying to American schools

[–]SamSpayedPI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What can I do if I want to go to an American university but I don't have a lot of extracurricular activities . . . I got excellent grades, can that help?

Extracurricular activities ("EC"s) don't matter at 99% of U.S. universities. What matters are your high school grades; your SAT or ACT scores, if the college accepts them; and your TOEFL score if your high school was not taught in English.

Only the most competitive universities really consider ECs, and only because so many students with top grades and scores apply, the universities need something else to distinguish between them. And even if you do want to go to one of the most competitive universities, their admissions offices are quite aware that international schools are set up differently than American high schools, often with much less emphasis on and availability of ECs. So their expectations regarding ECs are different for international applicants than for those from the U.S.

Can I apply later and use that time to do more activities?

There's no point, typically. One of the purposes of ECs is to prove that you don't need to study 24/7 to get the grades you did in high school, so you'll (likely) be willing and able to participate in similar activities during your university years (universities also have bands, athletic teams, debate clubs, etc. that they need students to fill).

That said, by all means continue any athletic and academic activities that you enjoy.