“Clean it Up” Guide Shows How to Make Old Social Media Work for You
(Oakland Schools, Nov. 1, 2016)
GOING to college?
Heave a big sigh of relief. The ACT and SAT are behind you. Common App and college essays should be wrapping up for Early Action. Transcripts have been sent…
WOO-HOO your high school career is winding down fast!
There is nothing more you can do to improve your candidacy for the University of Your Choice…
EXCEPT, well, there IS…
Let’s take a look at your social media accounts. Facebook, Twitter, your Emo Blog from 7th 
grade…all of the old accounts you’ve been ignoring for texting, Kik and Snapchat!
Those old accounts are still out there, taking up space on the ‘net, feeding college admission officers’ perception of who you really are…
YES, really. They’re looking.
“Fully 40 percent of admissions officers say they visit applicants’ social media pages to learn about them, four times the percentage that did so in 2008, according to a just-released survey from Kaplan Test Prep.” (Time.com/money, Jan. 13, 2016)
Admissions officers don’t have time to browse the accounts of every single applicant, but if you are applying for an important scholarship, aiming to get into a highly competitive school
or program, or trying out for a varsity sport there is a very real possibility your online social profile will be taken into consideration.
WAIT! Before you simply delete those old social media accounts, consider putting them to work in your favor. Clean them up, make them sparkle and USE them as A+ credentials in your college admissions self-promotion campaign…
OR maybe you are jump-starting a CAREER and going straight into the workforce after high school graduation. Getting your social self in order is just as important for impressing your new employer as it is a college admissions officer…
Now is the time to highlight your accomplishments and affiliations – to be viewed as an industrious, mature, worthy future employee. You want your social media accounts to signal SUCCESS!
This quick and easy GUIDE will give you the basics of Social Repair: How to clean up 
your accounts, how to tidy your Google search rep and how to present your best YOU going forward…because simply, it’s your time to SHINE.
CLICK to View PDF
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RESOURCES
Hechinger Report: Colleges shift to using ‘big data’ – including admissions decisions
New York Times: They Loved Your G.P.A. Then They Saw Your Tweets
Harvard Business Review: Boost Your Career with Social Media : TIPS for Managing Yourself
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Blog Editor Jean MacLeod, Communications/Oakland Schools
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