Luckily, only about a third of U.S. admissions offers look at student social profiles. That said, you don’t want to take any risks. So take this summer to scrub your feeds before you start filling out the college applications this fall.

1) Keep the questionable content private

This may seem obvious, but most teens have one profile on Instagram for maintaining a public image safe enough for college admissions officers and at least one private "finsta" (fake Insta) for their friends. My best advice for keeping a social media account is: if you're not sure if anything is offensive or not the best look, make your account private just in case and leave the rest for your finsta.

2) Show your natural college pride

If a student is applying early decision, it would be helpful to see the student show passion for their first-choice school. That said, try to avoid badmouthing or praising any specific college if you plan to apply to many of them. That way, you will avoid looking insincere by saying you LOVE Columbia when you just tweeted how excited you are to apply to NYU.

3) Be authentic

Finally, their social media accounts could be great ways to show their authentic selves. Are they leading donation efforts for the refugees fleeing Ukraine? Are they sharing progressive viewpoints? Attending rallies they care about? Even making funny TikToks is great because a sense of humor is the best way to connect with strangers and show the admissions officers the real human beneath the SAT score.

4) Showcase your main passion

Students can leverage social media to build a positive online presence by using it to showcase their passions. Many students have a laundry list of extracurriculars, but what will make you stand out is highlighting one or two passions, where you've spent considerable time and maybe even taken on a leadership role. Colleges love seeing your commitment and a natural extension of that should be in your social media presence. For example, post a pic of your recent violin recital, winning touchdown, or play debut.

5) Be Nice

Avoid mentioning anything negative: no illicit photos, no sarcastic or negative comments about a teacher, no whining about homework, and obviously no cyberbullying.