Accreditation

Down and dirty, ugly and tedious, but necessary for advancement.

If you are a high school student, something that is not emphasized (but perhaps not enough) is the need for accreditation. A prerequisite to get the Professional Engineer's license is a degree from an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) college program. As an 18 year old applying for schools, this is not even in one's mind but will have a profound impact on their life trajectory.