SoFi Blog

Housewives. CEOs. Titans of industry. Your favorite aunt.

It seems like just about everyone these days is trying to get their kids into elite colleges—by any means necessary. And certain elements of the wealthy and well connected don’t seem to mind going through the back door—or side door—as long as their child gets accepted.

You’ve probably seen a news story or two about admissions tactics that have gotten some high-profile parents in hot water recently. These approaches, the “side doors” as they were pitched, went well beyond traditional means of giving students a leg up in the college process.

For the rest of us, who can’t fund a building or get a coach to admit our son on the basis of a photoshopped water polo player, we have one option: the front door. And that just means helping your child get accepted the normal way—sans bribes.

After 19 years of education—12 years in primary school, four years of undergraduate study, and three years of post-graduate work—you’ve finally done it: You’re a lawyer. Well, almost.

Before any graduate can practice law, he or she must take the bar exam . After years of school and countless hours of studying, your legal career will come down to passing the bar exam. Typically, graduates walk across the stage in May, then take the bar exam in their state of choice the last week of July (although most states administer the bar exam during the last week of February as well).

Then, they must wait to confirm their bar results and start working as a first-year associate. And all that adds up to is a ton of time off with nothing to do between taking the bar and starting a job. Nothing to do but celebrate, of course.

What do students do while waiting on bar exam results? The time-honored tradition of “bar trips” takes place each year during those few weeks after the exam and actually receiving the results.

There’s a growing consensus these days that millennials are behind their Gen X and Boomer counterparts when it comes to investing trends. But is it true? Depending on which study you read, the answer is yes … and no.

While some millennials appear to be saving early and often, with their eyes on a seven-figure prize, others say they struggle on the daily just to pay the bills. But even for millennials who have money to bank, a hesitation to invest in stocks has left them a little behind the curve.

We can’t really blame them for being wary. The oldest millennials were in their late 20s and just starting their careers when the market crashed and burned in 2008. And if they had invested in the stock market up to that point, watching their portfolios disappear while corporations received billion-dollar government bailouts certainly gave them a reason to distrust Wall Street.

What is it about springtime that makes us want to tidy up our closets and refresh our homes? Maybe you’ve been admiring spaces on Pinterest and Instagram. Maybe you’re flipping through home design magazines and dreaming about the perfect master bathroom, an updated kitchen, or a new patio to enjoy this summer.

In fact, according to a recent SoFi survey* of 1,023 people ages 25-73, we found that the majority (45%) of people get their home renovation inspiration from HGTV and DIY Network, followed by friends or family (44%) and home blogs and websites (29%), Pinterest (25%), home decor and community websites like Houzz, and then Instagram (15%). Maybe it’s finally time to tackle your dream renovation project, once and for all!

SoFi partnered with HGTV’s Matt Blashaw , host of the popular show Yard Crashers, to help you achieve your dream home renovation without breaking the bank—or your budget. Here are a few of Matt’s tips to consider before your next home project gets underway:

When you’re busy focusing on exams and your bustling social life, it’s easy to let the details of student loans fade to the background. But student loans can be tricky, so it’s important to understand what you’ve signed up for when you borrowed them to fund your education.

We’re debunking some common student loan myths to help you feel more prepared with the knowledge you need to stay on top of them and in control.