Keeping Your Profile from Snooping College Admissions
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008Dear Babs,
People tell me more and more often that I should really tone down my Facebook page or even get rid of it completely. As a graduating junior, I’ll be applying to colleges soon and I don’t want the final decision to come down to a comparison of Facebook pictures. Does this actually happen? How frequently? What do you recommend doing?
-Facebook Fear
Dear F. Fear
I’m a huge fan of Facebook. It’s a great way to keep up with friends and find out what everyone is up to. That said, Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking sites can be a breeding ground for TMI-too much information.
I don’t know what scandalous photos or garish details you have chosen to share on your Facebook page, but if numerous people are telling you to take it down a notch, then it’s probably a good idea. Yes, college admissions officers have been known to check out Facebook. In a perfect world, what you do in your spare time should not be a factor in whether or not you are accepted, but colleges want to know the real you beyond the persona you project in your admissions essay. For example, if you write an essay on how devoted you are to studying premed at Duke University, those pictures of you falling down drunk during Spring Break might make you look a bit unprepared for a studious college life.
Facebook is a great networking tool; you don’t have to remove the page completely. However, do remove any indecent pictures, vulgar status updates, or any other questionable material from your page. Also, adjust the privacy setting on your page so that only people that you confirm as friends can see your page. Your profile picture doesn’t have to be a serious portrait, but make sure it’s one that you won’t mind everyone seeing. Even if you mark your page as private, the profile picture still comes up in a Facebook search.
I’ve never had aspirations of becoming President of the United States, but if I did, I’d like to think that there wouldn’t be any scandals brewing over my profile. This is a case where it’s a good idea to give in to peer pressure and tone down your Facebook page.
Good Luck!
Babs
