College decisions and social media

Think before you post. 

This phrase, born in the age of the Internet, has become a modern proverb, used commonly to discourage amoral activity online.  However, in recent years, it has carried a more significant meaning to college applicants.

According to a study published by Time magazine, 40 percent of college admissions officers make use of websites like Twitter and Instagram to learn more about academic candidates.  In many cases, universities use these internet networks to judge an applicant’s potential. These social evaluations are justified, as all posts made online are public, however online networks are generally unreliable sources of data on a student’s character.

Social media sites, though becoming increasingly impactful, do not properly display the values of a college applicant- instead, they are means of frivolity in which users compete for social eminence.  Success on these networks is measured in followers, views, and retweets, in which those who are popular gain a greater following.  “The essence of social media,” an anonymous Internet user writes, “is knowing your audiences and engaging them in something they love.”  In this way, what students post do not necessarily reflect what they value: it reflects their means of gaining popularity.

Ultimately, academic worth cannot be determined by the number of “likes” an applicant receives on Facebook, nor how many followers they have on Twitter.  Popularity is not a proper indicator of a candidate’s values, and social successes do not specify intelligence.  These sites are called “social” networks for a reason- they are correlated more with communal values than ethical and intellectual pursuits.

To read more on social media and college decisions: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kat-cohen/the-truth-about-social-media-admissions_b_3325839.html

Be aware: Colleges don't just look at your application anymore!

image source: http://www.dailyinfographic.com/

• Colleges look further than what's written on paper
• All your social media can be taken into account
• Admissions officers like to see: healthy social life, academic interest
• Application process is still inefficient

As students in high school, the college admissions process serves as the daunting finale of our K12 experience. We dread denial, but dream of acceptance into our dream college. We hear borderline horror stories about the work that goes into a good college application, and it stresses us out. Rightfully so, as well, because college admissions officers closely analyze every strand of information that students send in about themselves, and then some.

You can't expect to get into a college just on the merit of a 4.0+ GPA anymore. Colleges nowadays expect students to have active engagements in clubs, teams and sports, as well as state recognized rewards, and an educational field of interest. College admission officers look carefully into your personality, work ethics and personality, and you may think that it ends there. And most of the time, that’s all colleges expect. But admissions officers now look even closer.

image src: http://www.jsums.edu/socialmedia/strategy-and-guidelines/

Reckless tweeters beware! Watch out for colleges lurking on your social media pages. Colleges now look at your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and beyond! What does this mean? Should you be changing your content output to suit colleges? Short answer is, if you’re sensible, then no. College admissions do like to see that you have a healthy social life, as well as academic interests. If you have a focused blog with returning readers, then that’s all the better! Colleges love to see initiative like personal blogs on a hobby. On the other hand, if you are a reckless user of social networks, you should probably try to limit yourself on posting anything illegal or offensive. (Or doing anything illegal)

The admissions process may be more modern, but it's still as slow as it ever was. Applications are passed from officer to officer every day, pending approval, and physical copies can easily get lost. Common apps and online applications do help things move a little faster, but don't expect it to be 'Amazon Prime shipping times' fast. Well, at least we can rest easy knowing that an "A" doesn’t stand for Accepted anymore.

image src: https://www.andertoons.com/cartoon-blog/ - check him out!

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- Kevin Xie, AlpacasWithHats