Caution: College Admissions Peeking At Facebook Profiles
If you are considering applying to college add a review of your Facebook or MySpace profile to your to do list. While employers have been checking the online profiles of job applicants for a number of years a Kaplan survey this fall indicated that college admissions officers are beginning to visit the social networking websites of applicants for admissions. Kaplan surveyed 320 admissions officers and reported that 1 in 10 had looked at applicants social networking site.
Twentyfive percent of the officers stated the information on the students profiles had a positive effect on the applicants admissions process for 38 of the admissions officers stated that students profiles had a negative effect.
Although only a small percentage of college admissions offices are reviewing social networking websites as part of the admissions process it is important that students be proactive and make sure their online persona is a positive representation of who they are.
Here are a few tips to follow:
1. Regularly review your profile and remove anything that may not impress college officials: Check the language/grammar used and any photos or anything you may have downloaded to your site for appropriateness. Would you beembarrassed if the information on your site was splashed on the front page of your local newspaper?
2. Update your site with positive information about yourself: Made the Honor Society? Named the lead in your school’s play? Post it to your MySpace or Facebook site!!
3. Use the privacy setting on your site: Although this is not completely foolproof it can provide you with some protection from unauthorized viewing.
4. Check your friends sites for any negative information or photos about you and ask that they be removed.
So remember to manage your online profile so that it won’t derail your college plans.
About the writer: Sharon McLaughlin is a college planning consultant with over 20 years of experience as a college administrator in the areas of admissions and financial aid.
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