This is a post for absolute beginners. Not beginning artists, of course. You already have a passion for art and the talent to build your life around it. And you know that an art college degree will help make your dream a reality.

Applying to art college — or any college, for that matter — is complicated. Between completing your online application, assembling your portfolio, soliciting your letters of recommendation, wrangling your high school transcripts, and applying for financial aid, there are plenty of opportunities for mistakes to creep in — even for the most careful applicant.

Question: Why do you want to go to art college?

When you dream about following in the footsteps of the world’s most influential artists and most successful creative professionals by attending a top-tier art school, sometimes it can feel as if the odds are stacked against you. Some of the country’s most prestigious art colleges boast acceptance rates under 50 percent — and that’s not including the thousands of potential applicants who, intimidated by the competition, set their sights lower.

You don’t have to try very hard to find art colleges in the U.S. There are close to 200 hundred art schools in the country, according to one online list — at least one in every state.