I applied to college by filling out an application with a pen and typing my essays on a typewriter. When I wanted to fill out another application, I repeated the entire process over again.
Only a few people applied to many colleges then, in large part because there was no Common Application to make it easy. There was no internet or social media and thus no online presence to help (or damage) your chances for admission.
In previous articles, I have discussed how using social media and building a powerful personal brand can help you be successful in business and how it can help you get the job you always wanted. So, when I recently was asked to speak at a New Jersey high school about personal branding and social media for students, I discovered some very interesting things about the impact of an online brand on college admission.
In a survey of 43 colleges and universities published in a recent Chicago Tribune article, 67 percent of schools said they Googled a prospective student, and a whopping 86 percent researched their social media. Kaplan points out that it often goes the other way, too — 42 percent of admissions offices reporting that students actually request that admission officers look at their social media. And that number is increasing every year.
Also, according to Kaplan, an eye-opening 35 percent of college recruiters said that, when checking up on a student’s online presence, they found something that negatively impacted an applicant’s chances of getting in.
With that in mind, here are my 10 social media tips for students to improve their college admission chances:
1. Professional profile picture
What you look like shouldn’t matter, but it can. That’s why you should make sure you have a professional profile picture on ALL of your social media platforms (even Snapchat). College admission, testing and tutoring fees can cost thousands. Why not spend a little bit more and hire a professional photographer to take proper profile pictures?
2. Complementary posts only
And I don’t mean you need to compliment others. Your posts need to complement you and your brand. Never post anything on social media that you wouldn’t want a college recruiter to see. Avoid salacious behavior, suggestions of violence and any kind of bullying. Employ…