Attention High School Students: Clean Up Your Social Media
A few years ago, Harvard rescinded offers to 10 students who had been accepted for the Class of 2021 after they posted obscene memes on a private Facebook chat. chat. A TikTok personality who was an incoming frosh at Cornell this year, sent a private Snapchat showing herself at a get together, without a mask during Coronavirus, which went public and resulted in a petition by Cornell students to have her expelled before classes even started. These are extreme examples of social media posts affecting college students, but they provide high school students, especially those applying to college, with a valuable lesson: even if you only send something to a few friends, it can be made public. If you are one of the many high school students active on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and other sites, you may need to clean up your social media for the college application process. Here are 5 things students should do now.
1. Make Social Media Accounts Private
Do not accept random people as followers or friends. Select who you want to see your Snapchat stories. Pay attention to Snapchat screenshot notifications about who screenshots your snaps. Consider how you choose to snap with that friend. Make your Instagram account private. Think about making your TikTok account private.
2. Delete Any Posts that Contain Offensive Language or Illegal Activity
This includes deleting any Snapchat stories, Instagram posts, or TikTok videos that you may regret posting. Untag yourself from other people’s posts if they are not a positive representation of you. Students do not need to delete their accounts entirely, but they should ensure that they remove anything that reflects negatively on them.
3. Before Posting Anything New Think Twice
Here is a rule of thumb: Don’t post anything you would not feel comfortable seeing in the news. Students are allowed to be teenagers and post fun activities and funny jokes, but be sensitive to not posting things online that are offensive.
4. Be Mindful of Your Public Comments and Who You Follow
It is fine to engage in online dialogues, but comments should be kept respectful. Try to avoid constantly complaining about teachers, school, peers or family on social media. Consider whether you are following controversial figures. Use Twitter to stay in touch with the latest news. Students should also follow colleges that they are interested in on Instagram and Twitter because it will provide insights into the culture of the school.
5. Create a Positive Online Presence
If a student has an activity that they are passionate about, they should post about it. It is also a good idea for high school students to create a LinkedIn account which will be useful for them when applying for jobs or internships and when making other social and professional connections.
Have additional questions about the college application process? Schedule a free consultation with me or visit Excelsioradmissionsconsulting.com.
