If you're in your senior year at an Albuquerque, New Mexico high school, you've got some decisions to make. Do you want to enter the workforce straight out of high school and hope to find a well paying job handling wastewater management chemicals, or do you want to do some post secondary education or training? If you're thinking about applying to a university or college, you may be surprised to know that there's more to the process than just filling out the forms and sending them in.

Testing

The first step in applying to a university in the United States is to the SAT test. The Standardized Aptitude Test is designed to determine your proficiency in subjects like English and Math, and most schools have a minimum score in mind for applicants. Study hard and do your best. If you want to eventually join a firm of Orange County bankruptcy attorneys or study at a prestigious school, it's especially important that you achieve high marks on this test. If you're applying to a foreign university though, many only require your school marks, so make sure they're good too.

Applications

Be thorough when filling out your applications. Make sure you collect all the materials the school requires, whether it's letters of recommendation, transcripts, or essays, well in advance of the deadline. List all extracurricular activities and work experiences, whether it's debate club or a stint serving drinks at a Bracebridge catering company, because many schools like well rounded applicants. If you still have time before the application needs to be in, you might consider joining some more clubs or interest groups that might make you more appealing to the school you have chosen.

Interviews

Some schools, particularly the more prestigious ones, also require applicants to pass an entrance interview. Dress smartly, look the interviewer in the eyes, and be honest about your responses. Don't tell them you own your own business if you don't or that you've won an award when you haven't. These things are easy enough for the interviewer to verify and will surely earn you a rejection. Answer their questions in complete sentences. If you're a nervous person, memorize a list of talking points.

Funding

Cheap government loans for students from lower income families are a Canadian trade mark, and students in France study at university for free. Unfortunately that's not the case here in the United States. Make a financial plan to be sure you can afford your tuition. Apply for every scholarship, bursary, and grant you might be eligible for. Many schools offer full rides to students with an aptitude for a particular sport or subject. As a last resort, you can borrow from your bank, but beware of high interest rates.