Make no mistake, things posted on social media can and DO come back to haunt!
In the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, at least two universities, including Xavier and Marquette , rescinded offers due to hate speech posted on social media. In fact, according to a recent article published by Inside Higher Ed, Inside Higher Ed “Incoming and current college students are being reported to their universities for racist speech on social media related to national discussions on police brutality and racial injustice.” Whether you like it or not, it happens!
As students across the nation submit applications for college, honors programs, and scholarships, they may find themselves more scrutinized than ever before. Just like prospective job candidates hoping for offers for dream jobs are well-advised to clean up their online footprints, prospective students vying for spots at dream schools, some highly selective, should do the same.
4 Simple Ways to Clean Up Your Online Presence
- Check your pictures: If they represent the person you are today, the person you want the world to think you are, great. If not, consider deleing some.
- Google yourself: Find out what members of an admissions committee discussing finalists for prestigious scholarships or deciding who comes off of the waitlist will find when they Google your name. If you don’t like what you find, clean it up.
- Scrub your content: Although the First Amendment says we CAN say whatever we want, that does not necessarily mean that we SHOULD. When going through content, I recommend playing it safe by taking a more conservative approach to what might be considered 'inappropriate' or ‘offensive.'
- Social Media: Consider unfollowing questionable accounts and deleting unsavory posts.
Tip: Add cleaning up your social media to your ‘to do’ list and get it done. Remember, the goal is to get into a dream school. Dot all the ‘I’s, cross all the ‘t’s.
Need motivation? Watch Etiquette expert and college professor Akilah Easter’s interview on The Jam.
0 Comments