What’s in a name? More than you might think. Let’s say you want to request some information from Desirable University. You send them an email asking for details about their engineering program, for example. So far, so good. However, what is the first impression someone at DU might get if your email address begins with “partygirl”? Or what if you are “alwaysL8”? What if your email address makes you sound more like a slacker (which you are not) than a prospective student (which you are) to an admissions office? Maybe your email address is a childhood nickname that you are fond of. But when it comes time to look over your file, you probably don’t want those admission folks to think of you as “binkyboo” or “sweetiepie.” And what if your screen name might be considered offensive, derogatory, or just a little creepy?
Save yourself from this mistake by simply creating a “just for college” email address, with your name or some variation (first initial, last name; first name, last initial) and know that you can always keep your more personal email address to use with your friends. For college correspondence, though, keep it simple. Boring and bland though it may seem, it’s best to start things off with a good impression. If you have a voicemail message that does not include your clearly spoken name, you might want to rethink that as well.
What other ways can you make an impression? Facebook is one place that comes to mind. If one picture is worth a thousand words, you should be extremely cautious about posting photos that might require long explanations – to your teachers, your principal, your parents, or other kids.
Sometimes what you post may work against you down the line. Colleges (and even your future employers) could check out your page and learn a little more about you than what you put on your application. Would that be a good thing…or not?
Before you run the risk of embarrassing yourself and your classmates, ask yourself if your page passes what one counselor calls “the Grandma test.” If your granny was to Google you or check Facebook, would she keel over in a dead faint? If so, it may be time to make some changes.
And then there are some common sense rules that apply to any kind of online communication. Be extremely cautious about sharing personal information on a public forum. This might include your school name and, obviously, your personal contact information.
You don’t have more than one chance to make a first impression, so take the necessary steps to make sure that the impression you make will be a good one.
