Social Media and College Applications

We can’t hide from it, social media is EVERYWHERE! We’ve all heard stories about how social media postings have resulted in athletes getting kicked off of sports teams for violations of athletic codes, and by this time we are aware that job seekers need to manage their online identities as well since social media has become an additional reference source. What about for College Admissions? Have you given that any thought? You should!

College Admissions Offices are social media savvy. According to Kaplan Test Prep’s most recent survey of college admissions officers reposted that the percentage of admissions officers who visit applicants’ social media pages to learn more about them has hit a record high of 40% — quadruple the percentage who did so in 2008.

Information that can negatively impact college-bound students is what you’d expect: references to drugs and alcohol, bullying, nudity, and accusations of plagiarism. So what can you do, other than make good choices and avoid situations that put you in a compromising position? Kaplan recommends:

1. Limit your profile searchability so search engines won’t link to your profile. Go to Account – – Privacy Settings – Apps and Websites – Public Search (Edit Settings) and uncheck “Enable Public Search”. Or, if you just want to limit parts of your profile, go to Edit Profile and select the privacy level (Public, Friends, Only Me, Custom) for each profile data point.

2. Control who can contact you on Facebook. Set your controls so only people who have a mutual friend can contact you. Click Account – Privacy Settings – How You Connect and select “friends of friends.”

3. Take control of tagging on your profile. Facebook’s default settings allow friends to tag you in their photos, profile posts, and even check you into places. (Does anyone else find that creepy?) Change these settings so only friends can see these posts. Go to “How Tags Work” under Privacy settings and opt out. You can also choose to review all tags before they are linked to your profile so that your friends don’t have the chance to link embarrassing party photos without your permission.

But what are the triggers that prompt admissions officers to look beyond the traditional elements of the application (GPA, standardized test scores, extracurriculars) and turn to Google and Facebook? Admissions officers mentioned several trigger points, both positive and negative:

• Interest in Talents: Some admissions officers say they will visit an applicant’s social media page — often by the applicant’s own invitation — if the applicant mentions a special talent, for example, such as being a musician, artist, poet, writer, or model. In fact, 42% of admissions officers reported an increase in such invitations compared to two years ago.
• Verification of Awards: Citation of particularly distinguished or noteworthy awards can sometimes trigger an admissions officer’s online search for independent verification; as one officer noted, something “out of the norm.”
• Criminal Records or Disciplinary Action: Some admissions officers say that if an applicant mentions they have a criminal background or a record of disciplinary action, they will do some online digging to get more details.
• Scholarships: Students applying for special scholarships can come under greater scrutiny, as schools want to ensure those receiving the scholarships are fully deserving; extra due diligence can come in the form of online checking. .
• Admissions Sabotage: Anecdotally, admissions officers say they occasionally get anonymous tips about prospective students pointing them towards inappropriate behavior. They’ll sometimes dig online to see if it has merit.

Kaplan’s survey also found that social media can cut both ways. Thirty-seven percent of admissions officers say that what they’ve found about an applicant positively impacted his or her application — and an equal percentage say that what they found negatively impacted an applicant’s admissions chances. Positive findings included the discovery of undisclosed leadership roles or community service, while negative findings included criminal offenses, photos of drug or alcohol use, racial prejudice or inappropriate behavior.

The bottom line…be smart! It’s not just what you are posting but what others post about you. Manage your online identity!!!! If you would like to ensure your student has a positive online footprint we can help. We provide an online background check on the student as well as tactics and strategies to help you set yourself up for success with college admissions on social media. Give us a call if you want to get started 360.580.5106

How to Get Geared Up Before Heading Back to School

September is here, and we all know what that means: time to attend class, study, get good grades AND be involved on campus. Oh yeah, and I guess have a social life on the side.  After a summer off, it might seem nearly impossible to stay afloat. That’s why now is more important than ever to prepare for the stressful semester ahead. Read on for some eye-opening insight on getting inspired, staying motivated and avoiding burnout.

1) Remind yourself of your long-term goals. 
First ask yourself, “Why do I attend college?” And, “What do I dream of doing one day?” These are both questions you can use to gear yourself up the next time you don’t want to write that super annoying term paper, or you feel like sleeping through that pain-in-the-you-know-what 8 a.m. class. At the moment, the task at hand may not seem worth the effort. But, in the long run, you will thank yourself for putting in the time.

2) Spend time with those whose careers you wish to emulate.
No matter how busy, make time to speak with people you admire. Find out how they got to where they are today and make a plan for how you will one day reach your full potential in a similar way.

Taylor Bryant graduated in 2012 from Syracuse University where she studied magazine journalism. She says her motivation to do well in school stemmed from both the personal satisfaction of good grades and her desire to incorporate into her own style the writing styles of other accomplished writers.

“Whether they were my own classmates, actual published journalists or literary authors, I admired their way of writing, and it inspired me to do the same,” Bryant said.”

Whenever Bryant felt that she was lacking motivation, she would attend guest speaker seminars and watch TED Talks, which were great tools in turning her attitude around.

“If there was a speaker coming to talk about their career — and it related in some way to what I wanted to do, I would always go.” Bryant said. “That always served as major motivation for me.”

3) Set short-term goals.
In contrast to my first piece of advice, it’s also important to focus on a few short-term goals to help along the way. While it is important to think about your ultimate professional objective, chances are getting there will take some time. Think of smaller milestones you would like to accomplish each semester. Not only will it boost your spirits to make progress, but small-scale, college tasks will also serve as great resumé builders.

4) Appreciate the college experience. 
I know, I know. What’s there to appreciate when you are given way too much work, not enough time to complete it and a load of debt to pay back once it’s all over? Trust me, I get it.

But, I have to say, there’s just something special about living in one place with all of your friends – who are just as sleep-deprived as you – and having the opportunity to learn.

Even though it is easy to forget why we are in college in the first place, Alexandra Zaslow, a recent Indiana University graduate, says she especially appreciated college because of the amount of focus there is on learning.

“College is the last time in your life where you’ll have a teacher imparting wisdom on you,” said Zaslow. “I tried to take it all in as much as possible-especially during my senior year.”

5) Know what you love.

The worst time to think about how to get motivated is when you are already stuck in a rut of passionless indifference—a dramatic-sounding but accurate description of those stagnant moments when it seems there is nothing to look forward to.

This is why it’s important to know ahead of time what inspires you and makes you excited about life. Maybe it’s something as simple as engaging in a favorite hobby, such as hiking, painting or photography; it could also be spending time with friends and family. Whatever it is you find enjoyable, try to recognize what makes you happy before you are feeling down.

Although college can, at times, seem more overwhelming than exciting, Zaslow suggests reminding yourself that all the hard work ultimately leads to achieving your dreams. Once you know that, you are getting out of your own way and allowing yourself to get started.

“Don’t become intimidated by the challenge ahead,” Zaslow said. “Once you start it only becomes easier.”

Content derived from the following article:

http://www.collegemagazine.com/editorial/3819/How-to-Get-Geared-Up-for-School