While all graduate schools have hefty application fees, MBA programs often have the highest application fees of them all. An application fee to even a relatively unknown MBA school can run between $100 and $200. For this reason, it’s important to choose wisely when applying to MBA degree programs. On one hand, you’ll want to apply to your dream schools, but, on the other, you’ll want to make sure that you’ll be accepted somewhere. MBA in America offers these tips on choosing what MBA schools to apply to:

The best way to go about this is by placing schools in three categories:

1. Aspirational
2. Reach
3. Safety

Aspirational colleges are colleges that you would die to get into but are quite tough. Reach colleges are colleges that will fit into your profile and are desirable. The last item of the list, safety colleges, are colleges which are not exactly the most desirable but are those where you can be certain of acceptance. I suggest that you have at least two colleges in each category.

Depending on how many application fees you’re willing to pay, you can submit to as many schools as you want, but make sure to apply to an equal number in each category in order to insure that you’ll be accepted into a program. Because MBA application deadlines tend to end around the same time at every school, not getting accepted during your first round of applications can force you to put off beginning your MBA for another year.