ISFAA High School ISFAA High School Counselors WorkshopsCounselors Workshops

Financial Aid and Social Media

2012-2013

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Students Use Social Media For College Choice

• Survey of 7,000 HS Students• 68% Use Social Media to research schools• 38% have used Social Media as a resource when

deciding to enroll

• 55% used Facebook to review a school’s background

• 45% have been influenced by a schools engagement on Social Media platform

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Web Profiles Matter• According to an annual survey of 500 of the nation’s top

colleges about a quarter of admissions offices have used websites such as Facebook to vet applicants

• One third of those schools say they have found something that hurt a student’s chance of admission • (up from 12% last year)

• 15% of the schools surveyed had an official policy• More than 2/3rds of those schools won’t use the

technique

• Of those schools without a policy more than a quarter say they have checked out a student’s online persona

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Web Profiles Matter

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Evaluation of Scholarship Evaluation of Scholarship ApplicantsApplicants

Survey of 300 National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) members

(Members award more than $1 billion annually)

• About a quarter of scholarship providers use web searches and social media to search for online information about scholarship applicants

• Most scholarship providers only screen finalists

• Three quarters of the scholarship providers who reviewed an applicant’s online presence were looking for one or more red flags, mostly for signs that the scholarship applicant might reflect badly on the scholarship sponsor.

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Evaluation of Scholarship Evaluation of Scholarship ApplicantsApplicants

• More than half of the scholarship providers review an applicant’s online presence to get to know the applicant better, to look for creativity and other positive personality traits or to evaluate real life communication skills.

• A third of scholarship providers who reviewed an applicant’s online presence have denied an applicant a scholarship and a quarter have granted an applicant a scholarship because of information they found out about them online.

• Of the scholarship providers who use social media web sites to screen applicants, almost all (92%) use Facebook and a quarter use LinkedIn or YouTube. Less than a tenth (8%) use Twitter

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Evaluation of Scholarship Evaluation of Scholarship ApplicantsApplicants

When reviewing a scholarship applicant’s online presence, the scholarship

providers look for the following information: • To determine whether the applicant demonstrates good judgment

(58%)

• Provocative or inappropriate photographs or remarks (58%)

• Illegal activities, such as underage drinking and use of narcotics (50%)

• To get to know the applicant better (42%)

• Insensitive or discriminatory remarks (42%)

• Negative attitude (42%)

• To look for creativity and other positive personality traits (25%)

• Lies about qualifications listed on application (25%)

• To evaluate real-life communication skills (17%)

• Of the scholarship providers who review an applicant’s online presence, three quarters were looking for negative information and more than half were looking for positive information.

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Evaluation of Scholarship Evaluation of Scholarship ApplicantsApplicants

• A third of scholarship providers who screen the online presence of scholarship applicants have denied an applicant a scholarship because of information they found out about them Online

• A quarter of scholarship providers who screen the online presence of scholarship applicants have selected an applicant because of information they found out about them online.

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Using Social Media to Find Using Social Media to Find ScholarshipsScholarships

• Create a professional Online Presence• Use an appropriate email address, such as

firstname.lastname@gmail.com. Do not use offensive or sexually suggestive email addresses.

• Google your name and review at least the first ten pages of search results for inappropriate material. Correct any problems, if possible.

• Review your Facebook account, removing inappropriate and immature material and anything that may be misinterpreted. Remove pictures or videos that show illegal or questionable behavior. Avoid using profanity. Delete questionable posts by others on your wall. Ask an adult, such as a parent, to review your Facebook page to help you identify problematic material.

• Think twice before posting anything offensive, illegal or otherwise inappropriate.

• Ask your social network for leads• You ask about scholarships in person, why not online?

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Using Social Media to Find ScholarshipsUsing Social Media to Find Scholarships

• Use Twitter Search• http://search.twitter.com/

• “Scholarship”• “Scholarship” and “Deadline” or “Application”• Try adding “www” or “http” for links• Or “PDF” to find the application

• Follow and Like Scholarship Providers• Watch for posts/tweets about scholarship applications

• Be Engaging and Personal• Communicate with Scholarship Providers• Don’t forget a thank you card and post/tweet

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Twitter Leads to LoansTwitter Leads to Loans

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College Goal Sunday

@CGSIndiana

www.facebook.com/-indianacollegegoalsunday

www.CollegeGoalSunday.org

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Examples

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Questions?