Applying to college? Admissions officers may be checking you out on social media

Social media is used by millions of teens daily for Snapchat streaks, Instagram selfies and Tweets. But for students looking to apply to college, it may be time to rethink the way they are using social media.

"Social media remains a wildcard, depending largely on the individual who's reviewing that particular application," said Russell Schaffer, senior communications manager of Kaplan Test Prep.

Jon Westover, associate vice provost and director of the office of undergraduate admissions at North Carolina State University, said though reviewing a student’s social media is not a standard part of their application process, there are still instances where an online post can influence a student's chance of admittance.

“If we are pointed to a social media post that conflicts with the values and mission of NC State University, the post could have an effect on a student's admission decision,” Westover said.

The private, liberal arts school Elon University said they have rescinded admission offers based off of what has appeared on an incoming student’s social media account.

Greg Zaiser, vice president for enrollment at Elon said, “Things have clearly contradicted the university honor code and values. I cannot stress enough the importance of appropriate use of social media, period.”

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But, students can also use their accounts to catch the attention of a university they have their eyes on. Zaiser said if a student uses an Elon hashtag on a campus visit, they are likely to be noticed during the application review process.

Schaffer encouraged students to be strategic about how they use social media. He suggested posting high school work on public Instagram pages or blogs and linking these pages to their college applications.

"Within reason, anything that can give you a competitive edge in the admissions process is good idea," Schaffer said.

Duke University said though they don’t generally look at student’s social media accounts on a case-by-case basis, if a student were to include a link to their profile, they would follow that link.

“To not just be self-focused is a huge thing,” Kelly said.

The Social Institute offers training sessions for schools, teachers and their parents to promote the positive use of social media. They help students do “spring cleaning” on their profiles.

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“We remind them that’s it not just photos, it’s captions, followers and tagged photos too,” Kelly said.

The Social Institute advises students in their junior and senior years of high school to have public social media accounts and a LinkedIn profile. Kelly said if an admissions counselor were to Google a student's name, a LinkedIn profile is most likely the first page result they would see.

“It’s about being thoughtful about who you are sharing it with,” Kelly said.

Today, it is popular for teenagers to have a “real life" on a private account with a few followers, and a fake, polished life on a public account for employers, admissions counselors and parents to see.

Schaffer said based off Kaplan’s study, admissions departments don't have tools to look at private accounts. But these private accounts, like a “finsta” — a term for a fake Instagram account — can be dangerous.

“That’s not the right way to approach it,” Kelly said. Any photo, comment or message is prone to screenshots and shares.

Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke University, advised students applying to keep a clean online profile.

“First, realize that most social media posts are public, and that some colleges do occasionally consider them in making their decisions,” Guttentag said. ”Students should ask themselves whether they would want what they post in private to be shared with an admissions committee.”

The Social Institute suggests, rather than having a secret account, it is better to use social media to enhance your skills and accomplishments.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte said social media is one avenue they use to learn more about a few of their applicants. If a student has a private account, they won't have the opportunity to share with admissions counselors in this way.

For example, Barbara Seyter, senior associate director of admissions at UNCC, said, "In some cases, a student file may prompt us to want to learn more about them -- something that they state on the application, in a personal statement, essay or within their letters of recommendation."

Admissions officials at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Appalachian State said they do not look at social media when examining applicants. UNCW and Appalachian State still advised students to keep a positive social media presence for their future college careers and scholarship opportunities.