
It’s finally turning into spring, which means that across the country thousands of high school seniors are throwing off the shackles of their adolescence and steaming headfirst into that exciting new world we call college. At least, that’s the plan. You see, for some, the decision on where they’re headed still hasn’t been settled.
While most college-bound kids are already filling up their parents’ minivan with dorm room furniture, others are stuck on the dreaded wait list. And that means that unlike their peers, they can’t slack off on their studies and they definitely can’t get into any trouble online that could give an admissions officer a reason to skip their name.
In honor of all the high school seniors that are currently in college admissions limbo, we have a list of three things that you should not do if you want to improve your chances of getting accepted.
- Clean Up Your Facebook Profile
- Make Your Blog Work For You
- Engage With Your Preferred College Online
Facebook is a great way to stay connected with friends, but it’s not always the best choice for highlighting what makes you such a great candidate for admission to college, especially if your profile is littered with inappropriate pictures, juvenile language, and other content that makes you look like, well, a high school student.
When considering an application, admissions officers want to see that students are ready for the responsibility of college, from the work load of college courses to the stresses of living in communal dorms. If your Facebook profile implies irresponsibility, an admissions officer will be more likely to pass you up for another candidate.
Oh, and if you don’t think that an admissions officer can see your profile, think again. According to a study from the University of Massachusetts Center for Market Research, 26% of college admissions officers use search engines to research candidates and that number is swiftly rising. If you keep your social networking websites open in any way, there is a strong chance that someone other than your intended audience will see it.
Besides doing damage control on your social networking profiles, there are steps that you can take to proactively demonstrate to college admissions officers your value as an applicant. Were you a terrific art student in school? Set up an online portfolio of your art work. Did you wow your teacher with a short story? Share your creativity on your blog. Are you active in your community? Take a few words to describe your volunteer work and share some pictures.
There are plenty of free blogging platforms on the web that can help you share your good works with the world and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to ignore them. When an admissions officer Googles your name, they should find something worthwhile. So, give it to them.
More and more, colleges are entering the wide world of social media to engage with potential applicants and showcase their campuses. What’s great about this trend is that it allows for two-way communication between college representatives and applicants. If you become a fan of your preferred college on Facebook, or if you follow them on Twitter, you are increasing your chances of connecting with someone who actually knows something about the admissions process.
Just as job seekers must distinguish themselves from their competition, when you’re competing against thousands of other applicants, you should give yourself every edge possible. Communicating with a representative of your preferred college in a friendly and professional manner may help you form a relationship that can influence your acceptance decision.
There’s no reason why you should have to sit on the sidelines while your fate is being decided. If you haven’t heard back from your college yet, take some proactive measures to get your name out there. Hopefully, if you play your cards right, you can swing the decision in your favor. Oh, and one more thing, once you do get into college, don’t fall back into the same old bad habits. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to start your career, and when that happens, the same things that tripped you up getting into college could trip you up finding a job.



