Social media is the malt shop of the 50’s, the drive-in movies of the 60’s and 70’s, the mall of the 80’s and 90’s. Today it’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, SnapChat and Vine. Kids aren’t tethered to physical hangouts any longer. They can gather, communicate and share their life experiences on social media. This makes it easier to make friends and expand your circle, but it is a double-edged sword. It’s not just your friends that see what you say and do, it’s anyone with a computer or smartphone and an internet connection.
A new study from Kaplan has found that 31% of college admission officers check social media to see if an applicant would make a good fit at their educational institution. That number is up by 5% from last year.
Here are four teenage archetypes, their social media lifestyles, and how social media might affect their college admissions chances:
The Garbage in-Garbage Out Teen
She posts every single thought that comes into her head. The picture she paints in social media with her posts, tweets, videos and photos isn’t a true picture is not very appealing. She posts tacky photos, uses foul language, and blasts anyone and everyone who dares to challenge her. It’s not a pretty picture and certainly not one that would be appealing to colleges.
Why? Take the high school student, for example, that posted on her Twitter account that the info session at a particular college was lame and used the college’s hashtag when doing it. She was probably just trying to be cute and post a comment that would get a response from her followers. But guess what? It came back to bite her—ADMISSION DENIED!
The Teen Braggart
This guy loves to bloviate. He brags about his conquests, his love life, his hook ups and just about every other thing he does in high school. He’s full of himself and everyone knows it. Nobody believes anything he says and everyone ignores most of what he posts. This can translate into a “hot air” admissions applicant.
Why? Colleges are looking for students with substance and credibility. They check social media to verify what’s submitted in an application. If this guy follows his pattern, his application will be as much bull as his posts and colleges will catch him in lie after lie. The results—ADMISSION DENIED!
The Teen Seeking Popularity
This teen wants more than anything to be popular. She posts pictures all kinds of questionable behavior. She comments on other posts and pictures just to boost her popularity. She counts the number of likes her photos receive on Instagram and tweets get retweeted on Twitter. She’ll find the most outrageous thinks to upload to Instagram and her YouTube videos are an effort to gain popularity among her peer group. This might pose a problem when applying to college?
Why? Colleges want to know the “real” you, not someone you think people want you to be. This type of behavior tends to conflict with a student who is pursuing academic excellence. Wrong picture = ADMISSION DENIED!
The College-Bound Teen
This guy has it together. He knows that what he posts in social media is a direct reflection on his character and his goals and aspirations. He knows that if he wants to paint an accurate picture, his posts should line up with his resume. If he talks about volunteering in the summer, he knows that he should post pictures on Instagram of that activity. If he discusses his strong commitment to academics, he knows that he shouldn’t tweet about hating school. He respects authority and communicates that in social media. Colleges look favorably on this type of student.
Why? A student who demonstrates strong character and has consistent image in social media shows colleges that he is the real deal. The result—ADMITTED!
As social media continues to be a platform students use for communication, colleges will turn to it more and more for additional information about the applicants.
Ready Wendy’s post: Making Social Media Work for You
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Tonight’s #CampusChat at 9PM ET addresses social media and how it affects the college application process. Join me (@suzanneshaffer) and Wendy (@pocsmomhttp) as we host our monthly #WednesdaysParent with guest Alan Katzman of Social Assurity (@socialassurity), a company founded to help parents and teens evaluate and correct their social media presence before applying to college.
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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!
The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.
Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.