(written by Meryssa, Rising STAR)

Hello Readers,

For the past few days I have been reading a magazine I received from NHHEAF (www.nhheaf.org) called NEXT and that got me thinking about what I should blog about this week. In this magazine there is a bunch of different articles about various college aspects. I was reading an article about social media sites and how they have become such a huge part in the college process. So this blog is going to be about that: how social media sites affect your college process and how to avoid the pitfalls that may come along with them.

Recent studies have shown that more and more college admissions officers are looking at social media sites, like Facebook and Myspace, to get information about prospective students. Photos are something that some college admissions officers look at.  Your pictures would be a good place to showcase your extracurricular activities, like sports and clubs you are involved in. When posting pictures of you and your friends be careful that they are tasteful and don't show any illegal activities you may be involved in. When posting information on your profile use caution because some colleges take the information on your profile into more consideration then the pictures you post. When talking about your interests on your profile brag about things like volunteer work, extracurricular activities, sports, instruments you may play etc.  Only showcase activities and attitudes that you would want an admissions officer to know about.

So be smart when it comes to your social media page. Post content carefully and be cautious of what pictures you post or are tagged in. If you follow these guidelines your social media sites can help pave the way to the college of your choice.

If you would like to receive a copy of the NEXT magazine, please call my friends at the Center for College Planning 888.7.GRADUATE ext. 119 (or e-mail collegeplanning@nhheaf.org and remember to include your address) and they would be happy to send you one.

Happy Surfing,
Meryssa