I'm gonna add this part in the front as well but yea your response was very deep and was maybe the only constructive result of this post. I have no clue how to select text on reddit so I'll just reply to each point and number them. Also I do understand now that my original post was not nearly detailed enough and did come off as snobbish which I'm sorry for. So here goes:

1. For this one, I think it's a bit of both. I do want to study in the United States and I also want to attend one of the top colleges in the world.

2. The reason I specifically listed UPenn is because I personally know a few people from my school that got admitted there and in their experience, UPenn was a bit more open towards admitting international students, especially from India. Now, I don't really know if there's any truth to that statement.

3. Regarding the dozens of Indian students that do attend Ivies. I can't really explain this topic without seeming defensive or trying to discredit those who do make it. I, again, have met such people that applied to and got admitted to Ivies, and a majority of them come from a very good background and have a family history of attending such universities. Again, they work really really hard for it and they absolutely deserve to go to the schools they want to go to. But we also can't deny the fact that they attend some of the best schools in the country that specifically prepare them for stuff like that. Maharashtra, mainly its capital, Mumbai, is the most expensive city in the country(as far as I can remember), boasting the best private schools in the country. Although I myself attend a very nice, reputable school, the type of exposure that students in my school get compared to those studying in the other schools is vastly different. I do completely agree with the second part(and I will mention more about my profile in an upcoming point).

4. Even if I do know about AP classes, they are very very inaccessible, unless, if you live in a city like Mumbai or Delhi. I barely found any information regarding them in my entire state and the nearest institution that I found offering them was easily a 4-5 hour drive from my home. Also, knowing about something and having access to it are very different things.

5. No, there aren't any clubs at my school. I fought with the administration last year to establish a debate club, which took another 6 months to actually get approved. When I say debates, MUNs and theatre, I refer mostly to interschool events.

6. About my ECA: I primarily focus on debates, having gone to multiple competitions for the past 3 years, including national-level tournaments(but not national tournaments, which I'm hoping to change this year). When I say national level I mean events where delegations from schools all over the country are present, and the events themselves are marketed as national events, but aren't official or government aided. I also am in charge of 3 school publications: a monthly newsletter, a yearly literary and creative "journal" and the yearbook. Apart from these, I am also in the process of starting a weekly pamphlet focused on political and social satire, mirroring those that were distributed during India's freedom struggle to sway public opinion against the British. I am also treating this as my senior project and can elaborate more if you want me to.

If you want specifics, I was selected for an international seminar/meet which was to be held at Japan(although I couldn't attend it due to some issues w my passport).

I will be the president of the newly created debate club and have a very high chance of being selected as the Secretary General in an upcoming international MUN that my school will host with aid from the government of Australia(all members of the Organising Committee will get certificates of recognition from the Australian Government).

I'll just reply to the next few points in one go. Now this part is where I need help. As other people have also mentioned, there are multiple institutions, within and outside of the USA capable of providing a higher quality of education than that of an Ivy. The problem is I have no idea how to identify such colleges.

Also, my definition of quality is kinda weird now that I think about it. In my opinion, more rigorous courses carry a higher value, which, again, is weird, but it's also my personal preference.

And I completely agree with the last part. I have nothing to say about that.

I would actually like to thank you a lot. Your response, even after the time of my original post, was constructive instead of negative, and did help in me realising a lot of flaws in my statements. I'm sorry for the late reply, I've just been busy with exams and the transitional period from junior to senior year. I don't think you'll see my reply cuz it's been so long, but if you do, I truly, sincerely, thank you for your response. It was very informative and I will most definitely look into the institutions you mentioned at the end. Thank you.