Can Social Media Hurt Your Chances of Winning a Scholarship?
The huge presence social media has in our daily lives is indisputable. With more and more young people using these social networks to broadcast their lives, you can’t help but wonder what kind of negative implications these sites can have beyond the screens. Social media can hurt not only your job prospects but also your chances of winning a scholarship.
We all have been given the “watch what you post” speech from our parents. Although it can be redundant there is great truth in that speech because it is vital to create the right image of yourself online, especially if you are looking to receive a scholarship or score a new job.
It was actually found that a quarter of scholarship organizations look to social media sites like Facebook to find more information about students before deciding on a recipient. That means your Facebook profile is under close watch by scholarship organizations, so keep that in mind the next time you want to post a picture of you and your friend holding up red solo cups.
Having a good image on social media can be the difference between you or someone else receiving a scholarship.
Scholarship organizations look through your profile to have a further sense of who you are and your values. This means they are on the lookout for any negative things on your profile like posts that suggest illegal activity, inappropriate or provocative photos, and extremely negative posts.
Scholarship organizations want their recipient to be as professional as possible. They want a person that would represent themselves in a classy and mature way, especially online. If they see any signs that you are the opposite of that description, then they will be sure not to choose you.
Every time you decide to post on social media, you need to ensure that what you are posting will not hurt your image in any way, and if you are unsure about it, then don’t post it. People often mistake Facebook for a diary and write these rants either about a person they dislike or their current job. All this does is reflect bad on you, not those you are talking about, and it’s posts like these that will surely follow you later in life.
If you find yourself needing to vent, write in a journal or talk to a close friend or family member about your feelings. Facebook or any other social media should not become your therapy session. No one wants to hire or give a scholarship to someone who is always complaining or posting negatively on social media. These kinds of posts can come off not only as obnoxious, but overly pessimistic.
Your social media account is your brand and you want to make sure it is correctly displaying who you are as a person to those who see your profile. You definitely do not want to be misunderstood due to a negative or inappropriate profile. This is why it is important that you review your profile.
Look at your profile thoroughly as if you are a third party observer and if anything on there is questionable or you would be embarrassed if your mother saw it, then it should probably be deleted. Unfortunately, social media now is about a whole lot more than looking cool to the rest of your friends, it is also about creating the proper image and one that you would be proud to display to any person.
Another way you can check your image online is by typing your name in a Google search. This is a great way to make sure nothing inappropriate comes up with your name and if it does, you can find a way to delete it. You also want to make sure your profile is private and if not you should change it immediately. This not only keeps people from viewing your profile without your permission, but also helps with online safety.
The last thing you want is your social media to work against you; you want a profile that displays you in the best light possible. If your profile highlights you as a wild partier that frequently complains, that hardly does any justice to who you are as a person and how future employers or scholarship organizations will see you.
Although you may be tempted to post pictures that can be deemed inappropriate, you should resist the urge. Even if you think posting that picture is a good idea now, you may come to regret it later when it has some negative repercussions. Posting a picture or writing a post is not something you should take lightly because once it is out there, it is out for the world to see.
Instead of using social media as a tool to vent or as a way to show off, you should use it to show what you are passionate about. You can use your profile to share your favorite articles or to write meaningful posts about what you are interested in. You should make your account into one that accurately represents you and does not hurt your chances of getting a scholarship.
Follow Uloop
Apply to Write for Uloop News
Join the Uloop News TeamDiscuss This Article
More Uloop Campus Life Articles
- Is Group Studying More Effective?
- What You Need to Know About Moving Mid-Semester
- Dos and Don'ts for the Night Before Midterms
- How To Decorate Your Apartment Walls
Recent College News Articles
PALATINE, ILLINOIS Scholarships Listings
WRITE FOR ULOOP
Apply to Write for Uloop NewsGET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
TOP COLLEGE NEWS
TOP PALATINE, ILLINOIS Campus Life Q&A
BROWSE OTHER COLLEGES
- By CollegeNorthwesternDePaul UniversityUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of IllinoisIllinois State UniversityLoyola University ChicagoNorthern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois University CarbondaleUniversity of ChicagoColumbia College ChicagoEastern Illinois UniversityNortheastern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois University EdwardsvilleWestern Illinois UniversityUniversity of Chicago Graduate School of BusinessMorton CollegeRoosevelt UniversityRobert Morris CollegeParkland CollegeMoraine Valley Community CollegeIllinois Wesleyan UniversityIllinois Institute of TechnologyChicago State UniversityKendall CollegeAugustana CollegeAmerican Intercontinental University OnlineAurora UniversityLisle, IllinoisBradley UniversityChicago School of Professional PsychologyConcordia UniversityDeVry UniversityDominican UniversityEast-West UniversityElmhurst CollegeGovernors State UniversityGreenville CollegeHarrington College of DesignIllinois CollegeInternational Academy of Design and TechnologyKnox CollegeLake Forest CollegeLewis UniversityLincoln Christian College and SeminaryLincoln CollegeMcKendree UniversityMidwestern UniversityMillikin UniversityMonmouth CollegeNational-Louis UniversityNorth Central CollegeNorth Park UniversityOlivet Nazarene UniversityQuincy UniversityRockford CollegeRosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceRush UniversitySaint Augustine CollegeSaint Xavier UniversitySchool of the Art Institute of ChicagoThe Illinois Institute of ArtThe Illinois Institute of Art-SchaumburgThe John Marshall Law SchoolTrinity Christian CollegeTrinity International UniversityUniversity of Illinois at SpringfieldUniversity of St FrancisWheaton CollegeIllinois Central CollegeJoliet Junior CollegeShimer CollegeTruman CollegeThe Cooking and Hospitality Institute of ChicagoMacMurray CollegeCollege of DuPageIllinois Valley Community CollegeHarper CollegeIllinoisCity Colleges of ChicagoDePaul University College of LawBlack Hawk College Carl Sandburg College College of Lake County Danville Area Community CollegeElgin Community College Frontier Community College Highland Community College (IL)John A. Logan CollegeJohn Wood Community College Kankakee Community College Kaskaskia College Kishwaukee College Lewis & Clark Community CollegeLincoln Land Community College Lincoln Trail College McHenry County College Oakton Community College Olney Central College Prairie State College Rend Lake College Richland Community College Rock Valley College Sauk Valley Community College Shawnee Community College South Suburban College Southeastern Illinois College Spoon River College Triton College Wabash Valley College Waubonsee Community College Adler UniversityAlvareitas College of Cosmetology-BellevilleAlvareitas College of Cosmetology-EdwardsvilleAlvareitas College of Cosmetology-GodfreyAmerican Academy of ArtAmerican InterContinental University-OnlineArgosy University-ChicagoArgosy University-SchaumburgAveda Institute-ChicagoBexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary FederationBIR Training CenterBlackburn CollegeBlessing Hospital School of Medical Laboratory TechnologyCALC Institute of TechnologyCameo Beauty AcademyCannella School of Hair Design-Blue IslandCannella School of Hair Design-ChicagoCannella School of Hair Design-ElginCannella School of Hair Design-Villa ParkCapital Area School of Practical NursingCapri Beauty CollegeCareer Center of Southern IllinoisCatholic Theological Union at ChicagoChicago ORT Technical InstituteChristian Life CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright CollegeConcept College of CosmetologyCosmetology & Spa AcademyCoyne CollegeCreative Touch Cosmetology SchoolCurve Metric School of Hair DesignDebutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail TechnologyDeVry University-IllinoisEducators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-La SalleEducators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-SterlingEmpire Beauty School-Arlington HeightsEmpire Beauty School-Hanover ParkEmpire Beauty School-LisleEmpire Beauty School-Stone ParkEmpire Beauty School-Vernon HillsErikson InstituteEstelle Skin Care and Spa InstituteETI School of Skilled TradesEureka CollegeEverest College-Bedford ParkEverest College-Melrose ParkEverest College-North AuroraEverest College-SkokieFox CollegeGarrett-Evangelical Theological SeminaryGem City CollegeGraham Hospital School of NursingHair Professionals Career CollegeHair Professionals School of CosmetologyIllinois Center for BroadcastingIllinois College of OptometryITT Technical Institute-Oak BrookITT Technical Institute-Orland ParkITT Technical Institute-SpringfieldJ Renee Career FacilitationJohn Amico School of Hair DesignJudson UniversityKnowledge Systems InstituteLa James International College-East MolineLake Forest Graduate School of ManagementLincoln College of Technology-Melrose ParkLutheran School of Theology at ChicagoMacCormac CollegeMadison Media Institute-Rockford Career CollegeMcCormick Theological SeminaryMethodist CollegeMidstate CollegeMidwest College of Oriental Medicine-ChicagoMidwest Technical Institute-East PeoriaMidwest Technical Institute-MolineMidwest Technical Institute-SpringfieldMoody Bible InstituteMorrison Institute of TechnologyMorthland CollegeNational Latino Education InstituteNational University of Health SciencesNetworks Barber CollegeNiles School of CosmetologyNorthern Baptist Theological SeminaryNorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse AnesthesiaNorthwestern College-Chicago CampusNorthwestern College-Southwestern CampusPaul Mitchell the School-BradleyPaul Mitchell the School-NormalPCCTI IT and HealthcarePivot Point Academy-BloomingdalePivot Point Academy-EvanstonPrince Institute-Great LakesPrincipia CollegeRasmussen College-AuroraRasmussen College-IllinoisRasmussen College-Mokena/Tinley ParkRasmussen CollegeâRomeoville/JolietRegency Beauty Institute-AuroraRegency Beauty Institute-ChampaignRegency Beauty Institute-DarienRegency Beauty Institute-Fairview HeightsRegency Beauty Institute-PeoriaRegency Beauty Institute-Tinley ParkSAE Institute of Technology-ChicagoSaint Anthony College of NursingSaint Francis Medical Center College of NursingShear Learning Academy of CosmetologySOLEX CollegeSoma Institute-The National School of Clinical Massage TherapyStar Truck Driving School-BensenvilleStar Truck Driving School-Hickory HillsState Career CollegeTelshe Yeshiva-ChicagoThe Salon Professional Academy-ElginThe University of Aesthetics & CosmetologyTribeca Flashpoint Media Arts AcademyTricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NETricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NWTricoci University of Beauty Culture-Glendale HeightsTricoci University of Beauty Culture-LibertyvilleTricoci University of Beauty Culture-PeoriaTri-County Beauty AcademyTrinity College of Nursing & Health SciencesUnity Cosmetology CollegeUniversal Technical Institute of Illinois IncUniversity of Phoenix-IllinoisUniversity of Saint Mary of the LakeUniversity of Spa & Cosmetology ArtsVanderCook College of MusicWestwood College-DupageWorsham College of Mortuary ScienceBenedictine University
- By State
- By City