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[dulce]

other folks have already covered the main points but also please remember that college admissions are more so a game of chance than anything else. schools have spots to fill and sometimes it's tossup between two or more similar candidates. don't take it personally if you don't get in somewhere! i'd also say don't stress too much about not having any extracurriculars -- not only because it's never too late to get involved in one, but maybe other circumstances have prevented you from joining them in the past.

i'd say make sure to spend a good amount of time finding safety, target, and reach schools as well as crafting your application essays. you want to have a good experience at a college that fits you. i know that names may seem to matter, but at least in my field it's the actual skills and work that you do that matter to employers. also, because so many applicants look similar on paper, it's important to make sure you stand out somehow in your application essays. at my high school we had counselors to help us with this.

i don't wanna give away too much but i actually did go to an ivy, so feel free to reach out if you have any questions! (i was a recruited athlete though so not entirely in the same playing field ) as for my time in college, i spent so much time studying in addition to my athletic commitments that i didn't have time for anything else. it was the same for me in high school, except less studying and i had more time to just watch youtube lol

lastly, it's not totally necessary to go to college immediately after high school! gap years are an option as well. although i don't have any personal experience with this, you could use the time to do new things that you could ultimately use to help you get into college.