Featured Article | College Ready: What You Need to Know About College Admissions
High school seniors are embarking on the 2017-2018 school year with the finish line in sight. For some seniors, this means that they are in the home stretch whereas other students may feel like they are frantically sprinting to make multiple deadlines by writing essays, submitting college applications and applying for scholarships. High school juniors may also feel the time crunch this school year as they aim to raise their GPA and ramp up on their well-roundedness by signing up for extracurricular activities. College admissions exams such as the SAT and ACT may trigger test anxiety in students–especially those that have tremendous pressure on themselves to reach ambitious goals and expectations. Take a deep breath. College admissions boards look at more than numbers. They want to get the whole picture of you from your academic readiness to your all-around character qualities exemplified in athletics, awards, community service and by partnering with organizations like iDrive. They not only look at the “hard factors” like exam scores and grade point averages (GPAs), they consider “soft factors” such as the essays, course enrollment and the types of extracurricular activities that listed on your application.
What does social media have to do with college readiness? One important aspect of college preparation that students do not always consider is building and managing a social media presence. According to an annual survey published by Kaplan Test Prep, college admissions officers are increasingly using social media to get a 360 degree perspective of who you are beyond the college applications that you submit to them (Schaffer, 2017). In other words, your social media presence just might be a determining factor as to whether you are accepted into your dream college…or not. Take a look at the Related Stories below and click on the links to see how grades, test scores, essays and extracurricular activities factor into your college acceptance–paying close attention to the ways that social media can either help or hurt your post secondary plans.
Related Stories:
- College Ready: What You Need to Know – Academic Grades
- College Ready: What You Need to Know – College Admissions Exams
- College Ready: What You Need to Know – Essays and Extracurriculars
- College Ready: What You Need to Know – Social Media & College Admission
- iDrive Agents: How to Be a Social Media Champion
- iDrive Student Advisory Board: Teen Suicide Prevention Week 9/10-16
References:
Schaffer, Russell. February 10, 2017. “Kaplan Test Prep Survey: College Admissions Officers Say Social Media Increasingly Affects Applicants’ Chances.” Kaplan Test Prep. NY. Retrieved from: https://goo.gl/uu9NdH
Schaffer, Russell. January 13, 2016. “Kaplan Test Prep Survey: Percentage of College Admissions Officers Who Check Out Applicants’ Social Media Profiles Hits New High; Triggers Include Special Talents, Competitive Sabotage” Kaplan Test Prep. NY. Retrieved from: https://goo.gl/CL57WD
