Social Media Pages Could Help or Harm Your College Admission

Be careful what you post.  We've always known that social media posts can impact whether or not we get the job.  Now some college admissions officers are checking social media pages too.

A Kaplan Test Prep survey says more admissions officers than ever are looking at social media posts as part of the process of approving college applications. The survey said 36% of admissions officers are looking at applicants’ social media profiles, and that's up 11% from the year before. 

UCLA doesn't look at social media pages, but an administrator at UCLA said college admissions officers, in general, want a more unfiltered view of the person applying and that happens through social media more than via materials that have been prepared specifically for the application.  In other words, there are no pictures of sandwiches or grumpy cats on the application.

If you want to apply at Texas A&M, do you think it would help your cause to post pictures of yourself wearing nothing but maroon and white Aggie gear?  Maybe?  We usually think of social media posts as hurting the cause, but sometimes maybe the opposite is true.  A little Aggie pride might shoot your application right to the top, who knows!  If our Texas admissions officers are checking social media pages, that is.  The survey didn't say.

Social media posts don't always line up perfectly with someone's academic pursuits and career goals, and most admissions officers know those pages are just a glimpse of what that person is all about.  Instagram never tells the whole story.  But socials might give some clues about how well we're able to balance things, and that could bode well (or not) for college admissions.

Join us on social media so we'll be the first to know when you're admitted, okay?

If you're applying at UT-Tyler, you can do that HERE.

And HERE for Kilgore College.