If you’re the type of kid who doesn’t think twice before uploading that picture of you mooning your little sister, it’s time to think twice. The world is growing increasingly small with the advent of new technologies and more specifically, social media. The online world is more easily accessible than you may think. Even setting your profile to “private” is no longer always enough of a precaution. Among college admissions officers there is an increasing trend of looking up applicants on Facebook, Twitter and other online networking platforms when reviewing their application. Admissions officers are also possibly searching you on Google, so make sure you double check that only your Theater awards or Football record come up when you type in your name. There are many steps you can take to ensure that you look professional online. Susanna has the inside scoop on Social Media and Your College Applications so watch on, friends!
Transcription:
Okay, so this is a relatively new conversation in college admissions but let’s talk about social media and your applications. As a teenage applicant to college, you need to be aware that what you put on the internet is very, very public. There have been stories of colleges looking up students’ Facebook pages so you want to present yourself in your best light. You don’t always know what your privacy settings are on every social media forum that you may utilize. You don’t know what colleges might stumble upon–literally. I would recommend a few things to you, my students, whom I care about.
Clean up your Facebook page. Only put things on there that you would be comfortable with your grandmother seeing because you just don’t know where social media can end up. Watch what you Tweet, and watch what you Instagram because you don’t know who’s following you. Just be professional and be polite and make sure that the picture that you have set as your Facebook profile picture is fully appropriate. And that the picture you have set as your Gmail picture is also fully appropriate because you’ll be communicating with a lot of professional people throughout this process.
Be aware that you even need to change your email address sometimes in this game that’s called college admissions. You just want to put the best foot forward. So, I tell all my kids to clean up your Facebook page. This is a skill that you’re going to have to learn as an adult, too. It’s happening in job interviews in the next phase of your life, so watch your social media outlets! 🙂
