BTW the Fiske guide only presents the best colleges in each state. All in that book (save for a couple like U Nevada) would be as good as UCR.
Good question: would you still e eligible for the top university in your home country?
Princeton Review also publishes a top colleges guide. They limit themselves to a two-page spread per college and cast a slightly wider net, but it could also be a good place to learn about US schools.
Princeton review is where you should start to investigate good colleges in your state and just the general landscape of good colleges in the US.
Fiske is good to understand ‘fit’ (the match between your personality and the college).
Both should be available at your hs or public library.
Don’t discount the ECs (extracurricular activities) that you already have, and be aware of their purpose and relative importance at different types of universities.
The core reason for asking about ECs is to learn about what do you do with your time outside of the classroom which can: demonstrate an ability to commit to something over time; an ability to manage your time well (critical to keeping up good marks while managing a substantial time commitment to something else); being able to work towards longer term goals; developing teamwork and leadership skills, etc.
So the things that you have done already will ‘count’, as will the things that you do going forward.
The largest universities will cut by numbers first (grades and GPAs) and headline ECs (that is, ones where that recruit for a particular talent, such as a recruited athlete or a performance level musician). After that, in general, the more selective and the smaller the college, the more ECs are likely to matter, because they are looking for evidence of high achievement in more than just the classroom and/or looking to build a community with a range of interests and abilities.
Over the years it has become a de facto expectation that successful applicants to top tiers will have an overwhelming range of ECs. However, you may find some consolation in [this post](There Is No Formula | MIT Admissions) and [this post](http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways) post from the MIT admissions team.
Colleges also understand that students come with histories and have had different opportunities along the way. You will be able to build your ‘narrative arc’ (your story about who you are, what you are looking from in your further education, and what you can bring to the community) in your application essays.
For now, focus on your grades, getting solid scores, and figuring out what you want to do between now and Christmas. Think about the summer break which is a great opportunity to get involved in a substantial way in something that genuinely interests you- do that ASAP, as internships and summer jobs applications are in full gear now.
And: look at the “cost of attendance” and run some “expected financial contribution” numbers for a few of the colleges that you are interested in, and have a talk with your parents about money: be sure that they are willing to spend that sort of money. Every spring there are a few students who are crushed to find out that their parents can’t or won’t pay for their ‘dream school’.