TABORTALK BLOG

Hashtags. Tweets. Likes. Instagram. Twitter. Facebook.

There is no denying that social media is everywhere, infiltrating virtually every facet of our society. Want the latest news the minute it's happening? Check Twitter. Trying to reconnect with a childhood friend? Do a quick Facebook search. Eager to see what your favorite athlete or celebrity is up to? Follow their Instagram account. Given the rapid development of social media platforms over the past decade, and the frequency with which many of us monitor our respective accounts, it is not surprising that colleges, universities, and yes, even high school college counseling offices have jumped on the social media bandwagon.

I’m hopeful that many of you reading this blog post were directed here either through @taborcc on Twitter or @taborcollegecounseling on Instagram. Our office has re-launched these two accounts with the hope of engaging more broadly with students (primarily through Instagram) and parents (primarily through Twitter). In our first few months, we have instituted a weekly trivia contest (complete with awesome prizes), posted pictures from various college counseling related activities like our college mini-fairs, application help nights, and “Donut Deadline Day,” along with the occasional scenic shot of our beautiful campus. We have also used social media to post reminders, share interesting articles, and connect with colleges by thanking admission representatives for visiting Tabor and posting photos from counselor events hosted by institutions like @WellesleyCollege and @GettysburgCollege. Above all, we hope our social media presence has infused a bit of lightheartedness and fun along the way. If you aren’t following us, please do!

Social media can also be a great resource for students and parents as it pertains to the college search process. Look for any college or university on any social media platform and your results are sure to include an account not just for the institution itself, but for the admission office, the alumni office, the athletic department, academic departments, and many other offices and organizations affiliated with the school. Should you decide to follow some of the colleges in which you are interested, you are likely to gain access to interesting videos, pictures of campus, updates on news and noteworthy accomplishments of current students, professors, and/or alumni, fun facts, links to interesting blog posts, and the list goes on. Indeed, much can be learned about a college or university simply by following its social media platforms. We encourage you to explore these as a way to enhance and complement your college research and build a greater awareness for what is occurring on college campuses.

Inevitably the question arises (primarily from students) “If I follow a college on social media, will they want to follow me back or will they see my profile?” The answer is a tricky one and can vary from institution to institution. This short video offers some great insight from Andrew Strickland, the Dean of Admission at Connecticut College, about the general “do’s and don’ts” of social media when going through the college application process. Mr. Strickland sums it up best when he says, “if it’s not something you’d want your grandmother to see, you probably shouldn’t post it.” Wise words that hit the nail on the head!

In the end, it is up to you to decide whether and how to use social media in the college process. We hope you will start, if you have not already, by following the Tabor College Counseling Office and take some time to explore the social media accounts of some colleges and universities you think you’ll find interesting. #youwontbedisappointed