You may think it’s really efficient to only apply to a few select schools. But here’s the thing: You won’t find out exactly how much scholarship money, financial aid and loans you’ll receive until AFTER you’ve been accepted – and that generally happens in the Spring.

And if it turns out that the schools that accepted you didn’t offer as much help as you expected, it’s too late to add more schools or look into other ones.

That’s why it make sense to apply to as many colleges as you can: including the higher-priced ones, the more affordable ones, in-state, out-of-state, private, and community colleges.

Think about it: you won’t know which school has given you the best possible deal until you’ve heard from all of them. So make sure you give yourself enough choices at the start.