Believe it or not, admissions officers are watching high school juniors and seniors online, especially if they are applying to their college. They are Googling and analyzing the content these students post online and form opinions about what type of people they are and how they can contribute on campus.
Many students aren’t too worried about being reviewed and evaluated based on social media content. Still, they could hurt their chances of admission if they do not moderate and filter the content they put out. In a survey by Kaplan Test Prep, 50% of high school respondents say they are “not at all concerned” about online searches hurting their admission chances. However, they should be! In 2017, Harvard rescinded the applications of 10 students because they had made posts that were offensive to various racial and ethnic groups.
Keep in mind college applications are completed online. Therefore, it is easy for the reviewer to open a new tab while reviewing a student’s essay to do a background check simultaneously. Although it is difficult to say how often that happens, your best bet is to assume it happens all the time. However, this certainly does not mean you shut down all your social media handle; the lack of a social profile can be just as damaging to your application.
The best course of action for you is to complete a social media audit, which means you will clean up your social media accounts. Here are some tips for doing the same:
Step 1:
“Google” yourself to see what results come up, including images
Your first task is to review your online presence. You don’t want inappropriate photos or ‘foul-language’ tweets to convey the wrong message about you. If you find something that could damage your reputation, remove it. If you don’t see anything, consider how that may send a message that you are not involved.
What does your social media presence say about you?
What comes up with you search your name online?
Have you published content, such as articles on LinkedIn? Does it enhance your personal brand to admissions?
Do your findings from above support the personal brand you want the admissions committee to experience of you?
Step 2:
Review your social media accounts
If you have a personal blog, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, MySpace, or any other social media account, see if it needs any editing or refreshing. If so, clean it up or adjust your privacy settings. You wouldn’t want something you posted as an angst-filled tween or party-hearty student to come back to haunt you.
As you go through the content, consider deleting any posts where you complain about something or someone. It doesn’t matter if it is a complaint about a teacher or a coach, the president of your country, etc., Posts that contain complaints and criticisms are generally viewed negatively.
Your goal is to make sure you display a positive image. Therefore, you should consider deleting any posts that are provocative, discriminatory, sarcastic, or mean.
Step 3:
Delete or update any inactive accounts
Your old Twitter account could have some damaging information on it. Also, having a lot of inactive social media accounts floating around or, similarly, no social media accounts may convey the message that you’re not that well-versed in social media. So delete any outdated accounts or update your current accounts.
Evaluate your profile and content on every single social media account you might have. Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer and think of your social media profiles. What message is being conveyed? What does it say about you?
Your goal should be to come across as a responsible young individual that would be an exciting and contributing member of the college campus. If your profile contradicts that goal, it is best to delete your accounts from that platform.
Step 4:
Update Security Features
If you want to put your best digital foot forward, tightening the security features on your social media accounts is best. This could mean making your accounts private, limiting your posts to your friends, moderating comments on the posts, making photos unshareable, and not allowing others to tag them without their permission.
Make sure your account has the most robust security features provided. This way, even if you miss a post or forget to remove something, the privacy setting can keep the admissions committee from getting to that information.
Step 5:
Create your profile on professional platforms
As an international student, creating a profile on a professional platform like LinkedIn could take you a long way. First, determine the message you want to convey and the type of personality you want to demonstrate through your content to the admissions committee. Then, follow pages and other profiles with similar interests.
Step 6:
Follow the admissions offices
Once you have narrowed down your college choices, you should be following the admissions offices of the schools you are most interested in. While you may not want to repost or retweet their posts, you can undoubtedly like or favorite them.
By doing so, you are getting your name in front of the admissions committee and learning more about the top colleges on their list every time you read a post. This can help you demonstrate interest while also staying updated.
While assessing how often admissions officers look up an applicant’s social media is complex, taking some time to create and curate profiles that tell others precisely who you are is a great plan. Build your social media presence to build a story about yourself.
Sources
"Kaplan Test Prep Survey: More College Admissions Officers Checking Applicants' Digital Trails, but Most Students Unconcerned: Kaplan Test Prep." Practice Tests, Tutoring & Prep Courses. Web. 24 Nov. 2022.
If you’re looking to apply to international universities or exploring overseas higher education options, The Headmaster
Consulting can help you narrow your selection and provide you with insights about universities. For more information about universities, you can check out our University Insights. If you’re unsure of your profile, book a free consulting session with one of our consultants to help you build a standout profile.
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