Applications Submitted? It’s time to check your social media profile!
It might be surprising, but it’s not uncommon for school admission counselors to view applicants' social media profiles. While it’s not certain that schools will look at your student’s profile, it’s always best to make sure what they are posting online is appropriate and offers the best representation of who they are.
Here are some tips students can take to practice healthy posting habits while in the process of applying to private school:
Think Before Publishing!
This might not be new news to your student, but what they do share online can work against them. A good rule of thumb is to remind them to only post things they would say or do out-loud and in-person.
Keep in mind that these posting guidelines are not to stop your student from ever using social media again, and rather offered to help them in the long-run. Encourage your students to share videos or pictures of them showing off their talents and passions. Admission counselors love to see students engaged in their communities, as well as with family and friends
Now that you have an idea of what you can have your student share online, let’s talk about what they should delete from their profiles.
What Should Your Student Delete Now?
Remember that everything that’s posted on the internet is there forever. Even if it’s been removed from your profile, it exists somewhere on the web. As your student works through cleaning up their social media profiles or establishes new best practices, help them remember that just because it’s off their profile doesn’t mean it’s gone forever.
Here’s a check-list you can share with your student to minimize the risk of an admission team finding posts that might hurt their admissions (and future) success.
Delete any content that promotes, references, or alludes to insensitive material.
Go through your tagged posts and look for content that could paint you in a negative light.
Review and delete any comments you have left on others’ posts that promote, reference, or allude to insensitive material.
Review and edit your bio or “about” page to make sure it shows off who you truly are.
Review your profile photo to make sure it is a good representation of how you want a professional to see you.
Put yourself in an outsider's shoes. If someone didn’t know you and saw your profile, what would they think about you?
It Only Takes Twenty!
Now that your student has actionable items they can use to clean up their social media and guidelines of best practices for future posting, have them set aside 20 minutes to look through their accounts. Review. Delete. Review. Reflect. Review. And…Repeat.
If you’re an admissions director, let us know your thoughts on what “red flags” you look for on an applicant's social media posts and profiles. What advice can you offer? Let us know what else you would add to these guidelines!