They may be a little late to the party, but college admissions officers have discovered Facebook. Most treat it as a recruiting tool, but a growing number also use it to check up on applicants, according to a 2012 survey by Kaplan Test Prep. It isn’t yet routine, but a quarter of admissions officers admitted to visiting Facebook pages of applicants, up from 10 percent in 2008.
Only 15 percent of the schools surveyed had an official policy about how admissions officers should use social media. As a result, there’s wide variation. Some believe offers of admission should be based solely on what’s in the application packet. For them, using social media seems like eavesdropping or stalking. Others argue that what happens online is public information. They prefer students who are digitally literate and penalize those who show poor judgment in how they present themselves online.
This inconsistency means students who put time and thought into college applications should back it up with a careful attention to how they present themselves on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Even if college admissions officers aren’t looking, the information available there may very well have an influence on scholarship committees, teachers writing letters of recommendation, employers offering internships, and even future roommates.
Parents can help high school students use social media to polish rather than tarnish their images. Here are some tips:
• Pay attention to privacy. Facebook offers many options, clearly described under Privacy Settings. At the very least, encourage your child to restrict who can see beyond the profile page. Remind your student that privacy restrictions won’t provide complete security because friends can tag and share whatever your child posts.
• Review friends. Many students have hundreds of friends on Facebook. The site allows users to create lists so some of what they share goes only to an inner circle, but most teens don’t have the discipline to evaluate every post. During application season, they should think twice before posting. Some students have had applications torpedoed by anonymous tips about Facebook that could only have come from “friends.” Other students get — or send — Facebook invitations to influential adults, including admissions counselors. Making these connections is a good idea only if your child fully understands that everything on Facebook, including comments from friends, will now be under scrutiny.
• Chisel the profile. Your child can hide his profile, but it may be better to keep it public — and professional. Be sure it features a photo that’s friendly and wholesome. Review the “Favorites” that appear on the profile page. Remind your student that choices about music, books, movies, TV shows, websites, and quotations create an impression. Be sure it’s positive.
• Take control of tags. The default setting on Facebook allows tags, so photos taken by your child’s friends can show up on his wall. Encourage your child to change the privacy setting, so he can review tagged photos before they are posted.
• Accent accomplishments. Encourage your child to use social media to promote positive accomplishments. Include links to blogs and YouTube videos that showcase talent.
• Be law-abiding. If your child has the bad judgment to speed, text while driving, use illegal drugs, or participate in underage drinking, be sure he doesn’t boast about it online. Even schools that have a reputation for partying don’t want to see photos of inebriated students.
• Character counts. Avoid photos and posts that are rude, vulgar, or sexually suggestive. Remember that colleges are trying to create a climate of tolerance. A student may think it’s funny to join an “I Hate …” group, but a college admissions officer may see it as evidence of bullying or bias.
• Nix the negativity. It’s tempting, but unwise, to use Facebook to vent about problems. Be especially careful about critiquing colleges. One admissions officer changed his mind about a promising student after she made disparaging remarks about her campus visit.
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In addition to encouraging your child to burnish his image in social media, do a Google search for your child’s name. In Kaplan’s study, a quarter of admissions officers had done just that, and 35 percent found something that made them disqualify an applicant. If something especially embarrassing pops up, ask for it to be removed from the original website. If that’s not possible, try to bury it in an avalanche of positive results.
