Rejected Because of Facebook and MySpace?

The news is horrifying to some students: a Kaplan survey found that 10% of admissions officers at top colleges visit social networking sites to get more information about college applicants. What colleges find online is more often bad than good: 25% of the time the web information made a positive impression, while 38% of the time the impression was negative.

Does this mean that you should run out and shut down all of your social networking sites for fear that something online might sabbotage your college applications? Of course not. But you should be aware that your online image does matter. If approached thoughtfully, Facebook and MySpace might actually help you get into college. The strategy is simple -- make sure anything an admissions officer might find online makes you look good. Be sure to check out this article on Facebook and MySpace that outlines what you should and should not do to make Facebook and MySpace work in your favor.

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