Facebook - College Admission Counseling

5 Ways to Clean Up Your On-Line Profile

Jared Hobson — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:01:28 +0000

With that said, students still should make sure their on-line profile is the best reflection of them. Think of it as an unofficial part of your application. You don’t want anything about you on-line that you would not want the admission representative of your favorite school to see. Everyone knows about privacy settings and creating false identities, but students should really take the time to create a positive on-line presence. Every high school student should clean up his or her on-line profile.

Here are five tips to help you get started on cleaning up your on-line profile.

1. Google yourself

This is the best way to determine what is out there. Type your name into Google and see what others will find. Make sure you type all of the versions of your name, including your first, middle and last name and any nicknames you may have. You should also click on the images tab of Google to see what pictures of you are out there.

2. Untag pictures and videos

One of the most incriminating pieces of on-line history that can be out there are images. Facebook is probably the most prominent, but people can also tag you in pictures or videos on other social media sites such as Flickr, Instagram and YouTube. Make sure you check all of the social media sites that you (and your friends) are associated with.

3. Be good on Facebook

Facebook is the main culprit for a messy on-line profile. Go through everything that you have “liked” and make sure it is appropriate. Also check the groups you belong too. Anything involving alcohol or that is demeaning should be changed.

4. Watch your language

It can be easy to jump on-line and post a rant. Whether it is on your Twitter account, Facebook or the blog you created, make sure your comments are appropriate. You want yourself to be portrayed in the best light possible, so any inappropriate or negative comments need to be deleted.

5. Make a deal with your friends

Sometimes you are associated with inappropriate on-line content without your knowledge. Make sure and let your friends know that you want to maintain a positive on-line profile for the time being (and I am sure you can find a cooler way to ask). Ask them to let you know if they tag you in anything and let them know that you will do the same for them.

The college application process is stressful enough. You don’t want to have to worry about an on-line comment or image ruining your chances for your future.

The post 5 Ways to Clean Up Your On-Line Profile first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

More College Admissions Offices Are Looking at Facebook Pages Than Ever Before – Time to Clean Up That Profile!

Jared Hobson — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 19:13:05 +0000

Did you know that more college admissions counselors are using Facebook to look up applicants than ever before? If not, you do now.

Admissions counselors looking up applicants on social media platforms is not a new phenomenon. In fact, we have posted many previous blog posts on the subject including topics on: admissions and Facebook, how to interact with colleges on Facebook and privacy settings on Facebook as related to admissions. However, a new study is a good reminder that it may be time to clean up your online presence if you are a college applicant.

Back in 2008, Kaplan Test Prep started looking into the use of Facebook by college admissions counselors. As this time, only one in 10 admissions officers reported checking applicants’ social networking page. However, in Kaplan’s newest 2012 study they found some surprising information. They found that over a quarter of college admissions officers today include Google or Facebook review in their applicant evaluations. In fact, they found that 35% of these admissions officers report discovering information that negatively impacted the prospective student.

Some of the offenses they found included: plagiarism, alcohol consumption in photos, and “illegal activities.” The most obvious suggestion I could make is to encourage students to abstain from making poor choices in the first place. However, it is also a necessary reminder for students about how they are risking their own privacy by sharing these choices with the public social media world. So, as you are going through the application process this is a perfect reminder to clean up your profile, make sure your privacy settings are in order, and confirm there isn’t anything out there floating around that you wouldn’t want an admissions counselor to read about you.

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Pinterest and College Planning?

Jared Hobson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:00:03 +0000

Are you hooked on Pinterest yet? I am! I must admit I have been swept up in the Pinterest craze like a lot of my friends and colleagues and have spent many a recent evening here in Boulder collecting ideas for crafts, recipes, decorating ideas and much more.
For those of you unfamiliar with Pinterest it is touted as an “online pinboard where you can organize and share things you love.”
So, I started thinking. Since higher education has become completely intertwined with all of the other social networking sites out there (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, etc) is Pinterest next? I decided to take a look to see what I could find that would be helpful to our high school students and their parents in their planning for college. Here are a few thoughts.
1) Type in the word “dorm” and what will you find? Plenty! Lots of creative ideas for how to decorate and organize your future dorm room (or residence hall as us higher education folks like to call them).
2) Interested in Greek Life? Type in a sorority or fraternity name and you will find tons of Greek letter memorabilia and images to get you excited about rush.
3) Looking at a particular college? Type in the name to see pictures from campus, books related to the college, and much more. Or go a step further and type in the city name or location of the college to see images and information related to that region.
4) Parents, are you planning a graduation party for your senior? Type in “Graduation” and you see everything from graduation themed cupcakes to inspiring quotations to pass on to your future graduate.
5) Wondering how you will keep track of your schedule in college? Looking for creative and eye catching time management tools? Type in “calendar” to find great ideas to organize your schedule from chalkboard calendars to calendars made with recycled buttons.
The possibilities are endless! Give it a try…and watch out, it’s addicting!
Mark Montgomery
Expert Educational Consultant

The post Pinterest and College Planning? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Be Nice! (Part 2) It All Counts, Even on Facebook

Jared Hobson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:00:51 +0000

In a past blog post I wrote about making sure to be nice to those you interact with on a college campus as you never know what will get back to the admissions committee. For this week’s post I wanted to explore the idea of “being nice” on a college’s social media platform.
High school students today are very comfortable with Facebook, sometimes a little too comfortable. They are used to posting things, sometimes nice and sometimes not, on their friends’ wall. So, what happens when they post those not so nice things on a college’s Facebook wall?
Well, they get talked about.
This past week I had a discussion with one of my former colleagues from the University of Colorado Boulder who runs the social media for their admissions office. I had noticed on CU’s admissions Facebook page that a few students had written, and posted, some negative remarks about the admissions counselors. The students who posted were frustrated that they didn’t have a decision yet and chose to write some very harsh words. The admissions staff member told me how she shared their posts with the admissions counselors reading their applications and asked them to call the students personally.
A few thoughts…
1)People actually read your posts. It is not only student interns who maintain these pages but actually admissions staff in many cases. Think about the consequences that could present themselves before you post something negative.
2) Make sure you have all the correct information before going public with a statement or accusation. For instance, one of the students complaining about not having received a decision from CU by the posted deadline was actually a transfer student. The deadline posted was only applicable to freshman applicants. So, this student made accusatory statements before double checking the information.
3) Don’t brag about another offer from a college. One student on the Facebook page actually complained that they hadn’t received a decision from CU yet but they had from another college. And a scholarship. So, this begs the question-why would CU want to save a spot, or scholarship money, for this student if they know they already have a good alternative? Clearly, this student wants to go to CU or they wouldn’t be repeatedly asking for a decision.
4) If you have a real issue, call the admissions office. Facebook is a great forum for discussion, quick questions, sharing pictures, updates, etc. However, if you have a real issue or problem I recommend taking it right to the source instead of posting it in a public format. Sometimes the answer may be too long for a wall post. Just call the admissions office directly.
5) Once you “like” a page or post on a college’s wall remember that the college may then choose to look at your profile. If you have pictures or posts you don’t want those admissions counselors to see consider cleaning up your profile.

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Need Help Filling Out Your Common App? Try Facebook!

Jared Hobson — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:20:41 +0000

Are you filling out a Common Application? Trying to meet an early decision or early action deadline and running into issues? We know you are probably going to spend some time looking at Facebook anyway today, so try hopping on Facebook.com and doing a quick search for “Common Application.”
A glance at the Common Application Facebook page may be worth your time. The folks at The Common Application are constantly updating their page with helpful tips and suggestions.
Some of their tips include: advice about the arts and athletic supplement, how and when counselors and teachers can submit their online forms and recommendations, and editing the essays.
Check it out as you nibble on yesterday’s Halloween candy!

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College Student Centers in the Age of Social Media

Jared Hobson — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:22:08 +0000

On a recent tour of colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, I kept noticing that most of the common spaces on these campuses were relatively quiet. Obviously, the time of day and the day of the week can make a difference in how many people one observes scurrying through student centers.
And yet, one of my student tour guides admitted to me that the common spaces were almost always dead on her campus–even though it was a residential college (and not a commuter campus). I asked her why, and she launched into a very well-developed thesis on how Facebook, texting, and other social media has obviated the need for physical space for students to congregate: they tend to congregate online.
Brilliant observation. So I recorded this short video at Drexel University to share some of my thoughts on the issue. If you prefer, you can read the transcript below.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

TRANSCRIPT:
Right now I’m on the campus of Drexel University, and it’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, right next door to the University of Pennsylvania. And I’m here in the Student Center where it’s pretty well deserted right now. This is the morning, but I’ve had a similar experience at most of the other campuses I visited no matter what time of day or night. Many of the student’s spaces are pretty well empty, and it wasn’t until I was talking to a tour guide at Ursinus College, which is about 35 or 40 minutes north of Philadelphia, and she was saying, “Yeah, this is the way it usually is. The Student Center is not very busy.” And she was quick to add that the reason for that is that students are connecting in different ways. That they’re connecting on Facebook, and they are certainly communicating by text also. But they’re not having to physically meet in a particular place in order to make arrangements for what kind of social stuff they’re going to do, and I was telling her about my own experience in college; how if we wanted to connect with other students, we didn’t even have land phone lines in our rooms. We had to physically go to another students’ room and leave a note on the whiteboard outside that said meet me at such and such a place, at such and such a time.
So, the Student Centers have taken on a very different role in student life, and it’ll be interesting to see over the next, you know, few years even what happens to these spaces, because they’re not being used as intensively as they once were simply because students are communicating in a different way. And this is important really for parents to remember, especially, because they may walk into these student common spaces, and think, “Where are all the people? Why aren’t they congregating?” Well, remind ourselves that’s how we communicate with our own students, and that’s the way our students are connecting with each other. So, it’s not necessarily indicative of the college; it’s indicative of the way in which we have radically transformed the communications among people. It’s going to have an impact on campuses across the country.

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Your Personal Brand: Could Google Hurt Your College Admissions Chances?

Jared Hobson — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:48:53 +0000

According to The Personal Branding Blog it’s possible that your online identity could prevent you from getting into the school of your choice. According to a 2010 study, by Kaplan, schools across the country, including business schools and law schools, are using social networking sites to help evaluate their applicants. In addition, many admissions office, and employers are using Google as a way to learn information about you. In essence, it is a new method of reference checking.
As you start to work on your college applications this summer, and fall, it may be worth a quick check to see what comes up when you “Google yourself.” Make sure that your personal brand, or online identity, showcases you at your best and doesn’t provide any information that could compromise your admission. Double check all of your privacy settings on your social media profiles and make sure to delete any pictures that you wouldn’t want an admission counselor to see.
Cara Ray
Educational Consultant in Colorado

The post Your Personal Brand: Could Google Hurt Your College Admissions Chances? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Freshman Orientation Comes Eight Months Early

Jared Hobson — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:10:45 +0000

The ink is barely dry on the Early Decision college acceptance letters but students aren’t waiting for freshman orientation to meet each other. Thanks to Facebook, the original college “getting to know you book,” kids are discovering who will be in their class and whether they’re from Oklahoma City, Los Angeles or even Dubai.
They’re trading stories about what they like to do and what they dream of doing in college. A favorite topic is the weather particularly for the experienced East Coasters sharing clothing tips with the West Coast kids.
Students are also reaching out to each other in a non viral way and considering meeting in person. If you live in the tri-state area, let’s meet up over the holidays.
Who plays quidditch? Anyone want to start a team?
The best part of these Facebook gatherings are the sheer joy that jumps off the screen. The happiness these students feel from getting accepted and from meeting like minded folks is overly apparent.
“Even though we haven’t met, I feel like we’re friends already!” or “Who knew one piece of paper could make me so happy!”
These Facebook get-togethers aren’t organized by the colleges. Rather, they’re completely a grass roots effort. So log on today, and if your new college doesn’t have a group, be a leader and create one! Wait, you don’t have to be a leader anymore, now that you’re accepted to college??!! Think again.
Juliet Giglio
Educational Consultant in Los Angeles, California

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New Privacy Settings on Facebook

Jared Hobson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:11:13 +0000

Facebook continues to be a popular medium for students and college officials to communicate. We have all heard horror stories of students posting some “not so flattering” material on Facebook for the entire world to see (including college admission officers).
Recently, Facebook upgraded their privacy settings and even though the new changes have received mixed results, it is a good time for everyone to review the material you have posted on Facebook and who can see it. The NYTimes.com posted a piece on the settings and what has changed. However, I also like an article posted on NYTimes.com in September titled: 5 Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook. You may have to apply some of the principles in the article using the new Facebook settings, but again it is still a good reminder!
Katherine Price

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Teaching with Twitter

Jared Hobson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:16:58 +0000

The Chronicle of Higher Education posted an interesting article on professors using mediums like Twitter and Facebook in the classroom. Sugato Chakravarty, a professor of consumer sciences and retailing at Purdue University, is testing a software called Hotseat that allows students to posts questions from their cell phones or laptops via Facebook or Twitter.
The results of the experiment are definitely mixed. In some lectures, students take control and post questions that are off topic, often taking the lecture in an unexpected direction. These unexpected questions can often lead to great learning opportunities. However, Charkravarty has also caught a student cheating by posting a question to a classmate during a quiz. (The student thought the posting would be anonymous, but requiring students to log in allowed Chakravarty to track the post.)
This is definitely taking teaching in a new direction and allowing professors to reach students through a medium they are comfortable with. Some professors see this experiment as “potential for disaster,” but isn’t that part of the educational process?

Educational Consultant

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