5 Instagram Mistakes That Can Hurt Your College Applications

Did you know that according to a 2021 Kaplan Test Prep study, 1 in 4 college admissions officers review applicants’ social media? Furthermore, many report that what they find often hurts students’ chances of getting in. On that note, your Instagram can influence whether you get into your dream school. Let’s look at five Instagram mistakes that can hurt your college chances and how to fix them.

1. Party Pictures

Those fun party photos might seem harmless now, but they can raise big red flags for college admission teams. Even if you’re hanging out with friends at a sleepover or dancing at a school event, these photos can look bad to colleges. They worry about pictures with red cups, dim lighting, or large groups of teens looking rowdy. Even innocent photos can give the wrong idea. Colleges want students who make good choices and show good judgment.

What You Can Do:

• Go through your feed monthly and remove any photos with parties, red cups, or large groups that look rowdy. You can save these memories to your phone or laptop instead of posting them online for the world to see.
• Review your tagged photos weekly and remove tags from any questionable pictures, even if they seem innocent. Not to be cliche, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
• If a friend posts a picture that might look bad, message them politely and ask them to remove it. Explain that you’re applying to colleges and you’re working to clean up your online presence.
• Set up Instagram notifications for tags. This lets you approve or deny tags before they show on your profile, stopping bad photos from linking to you.

2. Inappropriate Comments

Your comments on others’ posts tell colleges a lot about you. Fighting with others online, making fun of people, or posting questionable jokes shows poor character. Colleges look for students who build others up, not tear them down. Even if someone else starts an argument, joining in can hurt your chances. Be the bigger person and let it go. Remember, everything you write online leaves a trail that colleges can find.

What You Can Do:

• Scroll through your comment history and delete any angry replies or mean jokes. It’s important to remember that colleges likely don’t understand the context, even if you were joking with friends.
• Remove responses where you argued with others, even if you were right. Colleges want students who can disagree respectfully without fighting online.
• When you see drama in the comments, scroll past it. Getting involved in online arguments shows poor judgment, even if your goal is to help.
• Practice writing kind comments on friends’ achievement posts. Simple words like “Great job!” or “This is awesome!” show your support of your peers and speak volumes about your character.

3. Posts That Don’t Match Your Goals

Your Instagram feed should back up what you say in your college essays and applications. Colleges might doubt your interests if you write about loving science but only post selfies. The same goes for claiming you care about helping others but never showing volunteer work. Your posts should tell the same story as your application. This doesn’t mean every post must be about school, but your genuine interests should shine through.

What You Can Do:

• Take photos when you’re working on homework or school projects. A simple picture of your science notes or art project shows you care about learning.
• Document your volunteer time with appropriate photos. Show yourself stacking food bank boxes or cleaning parks, but be careful not to post pictures of the people you’re helping.
• Share updates about school clubs and sports teams. Post team photos and moments of celebration that show you’re an active member of your school community.
• Highlight leadership moments by posting about club meetings you run or teams you’re the captain of. Include short captions about what your group achieved and what you took from the experience.

4. Wrong Privacy Settings

Many students make the mistake of leaving their accounts wide open for anyone to see. Public profiles let colleges see everything – including posts you forgot about years ago. They can see who tags you, what you like, and where you go. Even if your posts are appropriate, your friends’ comments or tags can be troublesome. This is why you must ensure your privacy settings are up to par and help you control your online image.

What You Can Do:

• Review your privacy settings on the first of each month. Look at who can see your posts, stories, and highlights. If necessary, update any settings that aren’t strict enough.
• Create a public profile for school activities and keep your personal account private. Ensure you use your public account to celebrate achievements and other such happenings you want colleges to see.
• Turn off automatic tagging in your settings. This lets you review tags before they appear on your profile, protecting you from unwanted photos.
• Disable location sharing on all posts. Colleges don’t need to know where you hang out with your friends. Furthermore, constantly sharing your location can be dangerous.
• Look at which apps connect to your Instagram account. Remove any that you don’t use or trust anymore.

5. Messy Profiles

A messy Instagram profile can make you look careless or immature. Old posts from middle school, random reposted memes, or poorly written captions might seem fun, but they likely send the wrong messages to colleges. Your profile should grow up with you. What made you laugh in ninth grade might not help your college chances. In short, keep your feed clean, clear, and current.

What You Can Do:

• Set aside time each month to clean up your profile. Delete or archive posts that don’t show your best self. This includes old memes and silly childhood photos.
• Write a clear, simple bio that shows your current activities and interests. Update it whenever you take on new leadership roles or win awards.
• Use Instagram’s archive feature to hide old posts without deleting them. This keeps your memories while presenting a cleaner image to colleges.
• Post regular updates about school activities, volunteer work, or academic achievements. Aim for one positive post each week.

Making Your Instagram College-Ready

Make your Instagram help, not hurt, your college chances. Here’s how you can make it happen:

• Post about your school achievements, but keep it humble. Share photos of your science fair project, art portfolio, or robotics competition. Write captions thanking teachers and teammates who helped you grow. This shows colleges you’re grateful and work well with others.

• Highlight times when you helped others achieve a goal. Post pictures from club meetings you run or sports teams you captain. Share stories about teaching younger students or organizing school events. Remember to credit your team members for helping make things happen.
• Share how you help make your community better. Post photos of beach cleanups, food drives, or tutoring sessions. Tell short stories about what you learned while helping others. Ensure you get permission before posting pictures with other volunteers or people you’re helping.
• Show colleges you’re a team player by posting about group projects, sports games, or club events. Share pictures of your debate team practicing or your art club working on a mural. Write about what you learned from working with others.
• Join conversations about things that matter to you. Comment thoughtfully on posts about school events or community issues. Share articles about subjects you want to study in college. Keep your tone positive and show respect for different opinions.

Final Thoughts

Your Instagram profile is more than just a place to share photos – it’s now part of your college application story. By avoiding these five big mistakes and following our tips, you can build a profile that helps rather than hurts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Remember these key points:

• Delete or remove tags from party photos that might raise concerns
• Delete any inappropriate comments and keep discussions positive
• Share posts that match your college goals
• Check your privacy settings monthly
• Keep your profile neat and current

Start cleaning up your Instagram today – don’t wait until college application time. Maintaining a good profile is much easier than fixing a bad one at the last minute. Set aside an hour this week to review your account and make the changes we discussed.

Want expert help to make your social media college-ready? Many students find that getting professional guidance makes a big difference. Contact the Bright Future Branding team and look into our digital audit service, which provides a 360° review of your digital footprint. Your Instagram can open or close doors to your future. Make sure it shows colleges the exceptional student you are and will become.