Yeah, US university applications seem a nightmare from Hell.
Not entirely sure, but I think they have to sometimes even pay for the privilege of having their application reviewed.
And then when you even do get into a university their degree requirements seem to also be rather absurd, having a round of
basic courses in Math, literature, etc. (although some universities might be different) in the first couple of semesters. Either high schools aren't doing what they need to be doing or the universities, as dependent as they are on tuition fees, are just trying to make a buck.
The whole system is very odd.