Top 5 Articles of the Week – May 24, 2013

Welcome to yet another weekly round-up! This week, in addition to the focus on affording college, I’ve decided to bring you a few fantastic articles on college admissions.

College Admissions

• Our View: College admissions process is tough test – PostBulletin.com writes an opinion piece on the difficulty of the admissions process today, and what can be done to navigate an increasingly complicated path to getting into college.
• Mistakes to Avoid in the College Planning Process – The College Planning Blog, run by Peter Van Buskirk offers a great article on some of the biggest mistakes students and families make in the college planning process. College admissions are a tricky process, so knowing what pitfalls to avoid is essential.

Financial Aid

• Students Show Poor Spending Habits, Little Knowledge of Financial Aid – Catherine Groux at the US News University Directory points out an issue we’ve trumpeted at YesCollege before. Too many students show poor spending habits and little knowledge of Financial Aid. College is an expensive endeavor, so understanding the ins and outs of the financial aid process is essential for success.

Affording College

• America’s Top Colleges Have a Rich-Kid Problem – Jordan Weissmann at The Atlantic presents data of a disturbing trend. Some of the most elite colleges are full of children from wealthy families, and imbalanced when it comes to representation in their student body from students with more modest economic backgrounds. This leads further evidence to the belief that colleges need to be more affordable, and students without rich parents need work harder to pay for college.

Student Loans

• ‘Dreamers’ Could Receive Federal Student Loans Under Immigration Bill – Lee Gardner at The Chronicle of Higher Education writes about an amendment passed that will be added to a pending immigration bill. This amendment would extend federal student loans, work-study funds, and other federal support to students who are in the United States illegally. This is big news for anyone affected by it, if it passes.

That’s all for this week, have a great weekend!