How to Use Social Media to Improve Your College Application
(Photo : How to Use Social Media to Improve Your College Application)

While it is well-documented that social media behavior can have an impact on your chance of being accepted to the college that you want to attend, it can also improve your chances of getting into college as the best representation of who you are. Studies have found that around 12% of college applicants were rejected from college based on something that they posted online, sending the important message to think about what you are sharing or posting before you do so. Colleges look out for things like inappropriate photos, hostile speech, and other questionable online activity and might take this into account when considering your application. On the other hand, social media can be used in a better way to brand yourself and stand out in a sea of college applicants. 

Stand Up for a Good Cause

You can use social media to make a stand with the things that you support, and show the world that you believe in and are firmly behind a good cause. Posting things on social media that showcase your knowledge of current events, your proactivity and your desire to make the world a better place can seriously impress admissions offices. Highlighting what you are interested in and passionate about on your social media profile will demonstrate how you put your knowledge and skills to use in the real world. 

Show Your Interests

Social media doesn't always have to be political or about causes. In fact, you can use it to show admissions staff the more human side to you, using it to discuss hobbies, interests, and anything else that you have been up to after school. If you have started something new since submitting your college application, like coaching a sports team after school or starting a new hobby, posting about it on social media improves your chance of admissions tutors seeing what you've been up to. 

Research Your Colleges

Ideally, you should have researched the college or colleges that you have applied to before sending out the application. When it comes to posting on social media, it doesn't hurt to do a little more research on sites like https://www.collegedata.com/ to find out more about what is important to the college that you have applied to. Some colleges are heavily focused on sports, for example, while others are known for their contribution to math and science. Find out more about what the college you hope to get into prides itself on, and use this information to show admissions tutors just how well you will fit in through what you post on social media. 

Show Your Personality

It can be all too easy to get into arguments online when using social media, but this might put admissions tutors off the idea of accepting you into their college. Instead, if you get into a debate with somebody on social media, you can use this as an opportunity to show your debating and discussion skills while still being respectful to the other person. Even if you do not see eye to eye, it is a good opportunity for you to discuss differing world views and have a healthy debate; something that shows maturity and will likely earn you more respect from admissions staff. 

Fun and Humor

Last but not least, make sure that your posts aren't all about business. Make sure that you include posts of you doing things that you enjoy, spending time with family and friends, and letting your sense of humor shine through. Just remember to avoid posting any questionable content - even if you think that something is funny, consider how it might appear to other people before you make the decision to share or post it. 

While questionable social media content could mess up your chance of being accepted into college, the good news is that you can use social media to impress admissions staff and boost your application.