Before you can go to college, you’ve got to get into a school that’s the right match for your career goals.

To find out what it takes to apply and get accepted at your college of choice, check out the Getting into College Checklist.

Do you need a straight-A average? Do you need to score 2400 on the SAT? It’s true that it’s always important to do your best — but colleges consider a number of factors in putting together their student body to get a mix of people with different talents, different backgrounds and different career goals.

Then there’s the next big question. What will this investment in yourself cost?