Looking at how US universities work is fascinating to me, considering the process of getting into university here is much different. The only non-school work that counts as something towards your ability to enrol in it are diplomas from National competitions, places 1 to 3 and everything else depends on your overall test(s) score. The way US works in that regard is very foreign to me and I can see how stressful it must be for kids who just finished high school or even worse for people who didn't go to university right away due to life or not wanting to before but decided that they want to later in life.