Sony laptop worth $500?

Sony laptops are generally more expensive, and if you only have $500 I would suggest considering other brands as well.

You can get a Acer Aspire AS5750Z-4835 for $450. Or if you must get a Sony, I think the best model in that price range would be the SONY VAIO SVE11113FXW. The biggest difference between those two notebooks would be the screen size. 15.6"vs 11.6" However the reviews are much better for the Acer.

If you keep your options open about the brand you'll have a lot more selection to choose from. You can also look into getting a refurbished or used laptop to get something better and still be in your budget.

Well, I will suggest a Sony Vaio Y Series. It has 11.6" screen which is not so big and not so small. It's processor is 1.65 GHz dual core ; 4GB DDR3-1066 ; 500 GB HDD which is enough for your everyday school work usage.

Yes, it is wi-fi enabled and very portable since it dimensions are 290 x 32 x 203 mm, 32 mm thick and 1,465 g for its weight. 

I checked the price and it's within your budget.