Going to college can cost big bucks, but what most people don’t realize is that those big bucks begin before ever getting accepted. Here are three “pre” college factors you may want to consider:

Application fees –  Most people don’t factor in the cost of college application fees, but it should be considered since the fee to apply can range anywhere from $40 to $75. Add that to 5 or 6 of your top college picks and you’re easily out of  hundreds of dollars before you ever get an acceptance letter.

Visiting campuses – Before making a decision, you may want to visit your top picks first. This means gassing up your vehicle or buying  plane tickets to go visit the top colleges on your list.

College prep courses – To get the highest SAT score possible, you’re probably going to want to take SAT prep courses.

These are fees that most people don’t pay attention to, but will eat away at your wallet.