Flickr user World Bank Photo Collection
There’s no doubt that college admission departments look at applicants’ social media profiles. It’s a must then, that before you head to college (or even send in your college application), that you clean up your social media pages. Here are some things you should be doing:
Get Rid of Any Questionable Content
You may have posted quite a lot over the years since you started your social media profiles, but now is the time to go through all of it. You might be surprised (and embarrassed) about the things you posted years ago, so it’s time to clean up your social media from now since you opened your account.
Go through each post and delete any questionable content. This could include inappropriate remarks about school, a job, or other people, or it could be photos of you drinking or doing drugs. You’ll also want to clear up any complaints, especially ones that might make you look petty or put you in a bad light at all. Also, remove any insults towards others or places.
Keep the content that makes you look professional or puts you in a good light.
Cut Down on the Selfies
If you’re a person who loves to take selfies, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you might want to cut down on the amount you post to social media—at least, the public social media with your name attached to it. Hundreds found under photos could make you look narcissistic. Go through your photos and whittle them down to a few of your favorites. Cut out the inappropriate ones and try keeping ones that make you look professional or happy.
Edit Your “About” Blurbs
Many people only think of their posts when it comes time to edit their social media profiles, and they forget about the blurbs they have to write. These are often the “About Me” sections. Clean them up for grammar and remove any inappropriate or childish remarks.
Also, take a look at pages or groups you’ve ‘liked’ or followed over the past. Are any of them inappropriate or paint you in a bad light? It’s important to cover every aspect of your about pages. Even retweets should be inspected. They may not be your words, but they’re a part of your profile.
These steps should be repeated for all of your social media profiles, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and others—anything with your name attached to it. It might take you a while, especially if you’ve been on these pages for multiple years. However, it will pay off. And make sure you keep pruning your social media pages and watch what you post on there. Think before you post. If you want to be extra careful, you may also want to consider putting all of your profiles on private. However, people may still be able to see what you post even on private, so you’ll still want to be careful.
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