Can I Mention Social Media in a College Essay?
by Kathleen M.
Always remember that your college application essays are about you, and why you would be a great fit for a particular university. So your interests, goals, and intentions should come together to give a full picture of you.
But what if your interests were related to something you worked on with social media, like Instagram or YouTube? Can you mention social media topics in a college essay?
You may have read about the hazards of social media as a part of your application, but remember that all of the rules you know about writing hold true: if you are using social media to prove a point about yourself, and it is the best way to show the admissions committee who you are, then go ahead!
When should I bring up Social Media?
If you are trying to showcase your personality, telling a story or making a reference to a social media page or channel you have worked on may be a good idea, especially if you have been carefully curating that space for a long time. Remember that if you invite people to look at your social media, they will see what you have posted.
But if you are trying to showcase your writing skills for a journalism major, then mentioning a long-term blog you posted on for current events would make sense. Or if you are discussing your love of photography, and you have an account that is strictly your photos, then discussing that in your essay also makes sense.
How do I present my passion?
The main idea is the same in any essay, describe your idea as best you can. If you have been developing your skills in one particular area for a long time and want to reveal your change over time, there may be essay examples that combine something you have done with your skills shown through social media that you created.
Maybe you are an Eagle Scout and talking about an Instagram you ran for classifying and highlighting pictures of native plants from trips. Or perhaps you are a dancer who has run a long-time video channel with your remixes of popular dance hits with thousands of views.
When should I be more careful?
You have been warned that you should use a professional email address for college applications. The same is true of your social media presence.
Know that all of the conversations you engage in, the links that connect to your account, and your account itself are subject to examination by the universities you are applying to.
So don’t invite someone to look at your social media for the “good stuff” and forget that you are sharing your entire account if you mention it in an essay.
