Top 5 Articles of the Week – May 31, 2013

We’re closing out another month here at YesCollege and bringing you our Top 5 articles of the week all about getting into and affording college. It should be noted that it was 529 Day on May 29th, which was a celebration of smart saving for college. Here are some of the top articles of the week.

College Admissions

• The Truth About Social Media and Admissions – Kat Cohen at The Huffington Post points out something job applicants have been dealing with for years: social media presence matters. What you put on Facebook or Twitter can have an impact on whether or not you’re accepted to a school. In fact, 26% of admissions counselors polled by Kaplan said they’d looked applicants up on Facebook. 27% they Googled applicants.

Student Loans

• Sallie Mae (SLM) Appoints Jack F. Remondi as CEO; Will Split Company – Big news this week from Sallie Mae as they announce the company will be splitting and appointing a new CEO. While this shouldn’t affect student borrowers too much, it’s always a good idea to stay in the know on the biggest student lenders.
• Make College Savings Accounts Part of Estate Planning – Reyna Gobel at US News highlights an important issue in an article published today. When starting a 529 Plan, it’s important to name a successor in the event of a tragedy. 529 Plans are all about planning ahead, and so considering all possible outcomes is part of that.

529 Plans

• The Best College Savings: 529 Plan for Your Kid’s Future – As mentioned in the intro, 529 Day was this past week. Your College Kid offers a great article for parents giving an overview of 529 Plans and how to choose the best one to fit your needs. Start saving early, because college is expensive!

Standardized Testing

• 4 Tips for The Night Before and 4 Tips for the Morning of SAT Saturday – While we typically do article roundups, I felt this video would be really helpful for students preparing for the SAT. Alex Avila shares some excellent tips for what students should do 24 hours before the SAT.

That’s all we have for now, have a great weekend, and we’ll see you in June!