Improve Your Online Reputation: Tips for College Applicants

College applicants may not realize that admissions officers are likely to consider their online reputation when deciding whether to extend an offer. These admissions officers find that considering the online reputation of students helps them to form a more comprehensive view of them.

A survey conducted by Kaplan Test Prep found that 30 percent of admissions officers were negatively influenced by what they discovered about a potential student online. Being thoughtful about your online footprint can not only positively influence college admissions officers but will also stand you in good stead for your future career.

Take a good look at your social media accounts

It is worth taking a good look at your social media accounts. Your family and friends may know that you are just venting at times but others may see certain posts from a different perspective. Taking steps to remove or hide posts can be trickier than you expect, especially if the content is posted by another person.

If you have been tagged in a photo, you may have to contact the person who originally uploaded it and request for it to be removed. If you are out drinking with friends, take a photo and they like the photo and reshare it on their accounts, this can also be a problem. It may mean contacting them all and asking them to remove the photo.

DiamondLinks is a reputation management company that will help you make sure your reputation on social media is the best. Using the right reputation management techniques can help create a social media presence that accurately reflects your personal attributes, accomplishments and aspirations.

Boost your positive aspects and associations

Managing your online reputation can improve your chances of getting accepted at a college of your choice.

List your interests on your social media profiles: Make it easy for anyone who looks at your profiles on social media to see what clubs you belong to, causes you support and community service groups for which you volunteer.

Start a website or blog relating to one of your interests: This indicates a serious interest in a particular field as it takes time to create and maintain a website or blog.

Blogging is a way to write about your interests in more depth and even those outside the school curriculum. Include links to your website or blog in your admissions package to help admissions officers easily find your website or blog. Publishing posts online gives you an audience for your writing, which can help develop your online reputation.

Mention all your accomplishments: Perhaps you created an online course or made an important podcast. Showcasing these in your application can help college admissions officers to see your value. Keeping a running list of all your accomplishments can help you to keep track so you don’t leave out anything that could have a positive influence.

Publish a CV online: A number of tools and platforms allow students to create online CVs which help them to sell themselves to colleges.

Use tools to create rich online portfolios: There are many different tools that allow high school students to create portfolios with photos, images, blog posts etc.

You don’t want college admissions officers to come across a questionable post or tweet on social media. This could mean you don’t get into the college of your choice. Focus on showcasing all your positive attributes and accomplishments and this will work in your favor.

Let admissions officers see blog posts you’ve written, community groups you’ve volunteered for, special projects you’ve completed and they will gain a much more comprehensive picture of your potential.