Whether you are about to graduate high school, or thinking of switching careers and going back to school applying to college can seem somewhat daunting. How to apply to college does not have to get majorly complicated, but there are a few guidelines to follow to get you started on a smooth path to success. Important things to consider are: desired location and field of study, out-of-pocket costs, grants, scholarships, and rate of acceptance to name just a few.

Generally, it is advisable to build a list of at least ten schools that you are very interested in attending, and then narrow down your choices from there and begin the application process for each. Do thorough research on each school you are considering and make sure you like the location and courses that each college campus has to offer. Do your best to base your decision of whether or not to apply to one school over another on your own educational wants and needs, not just because your parents went there, or all your friends are going there. If you can, go on campus tours of your top choice schools. Visiting a school is the best thing to do to really be able to envision yourself studying there.

Vary your list of selected schools in this way:

• Pick at least three colleges that would be your ultimate dream (these usually are extremely selective of their student intake and have a low acceptance rate).
• Choose three that match your academic records well overall (maybe not your favorites on the list but you will probably have a better chance of getting in).
• Lastly, be sure to list at least two safety schools in the event that you don't get in to any other schools on your list.

It is important to keep in mind that college applications are not free. So be sure you are applying to schools that you could really see yourself attending. If you are concerned about money there are many college financial planning services available to help you with things like applying for financial aid, grants, scholarships, loans, and more. To assure that you send in the best possible college applications give each one ample personal attention so that you are satisfied you are sending in a quality submission. The more personality a college application has, the better chance you have of it getting noticed by the right people