By Dean Tsouvalas

Editor, StudentAdvisor.com

The #1 most important button on Facebook is "Customize Settings."

As social media becomes more prevalent in almost every aspect of our lives it's changing the way college admissions offices view applicants. A Harvard admissions interviewer confessed she will occasionally run a quick Google search on applicants to see what's publicly available, such as Facebook photos and Twitter updates. Sometimes less the than flattering items that show up in search engine results can influence an admissions officer's opinion. Other admissions offices have a stricter policies that involve explicitly telling employees to not search the online profiles of applicants.  But as the saying goes - you're better safe than sorry.

Step #1: Click on the Account Tab

Step #2: Click on the Account Settings Link   

Step #3: Click on the Customize Settings Link                  

Step #4: For each category, control what friends see.

Note the additional customize area in the pulldown.

Step #5: This extra customize area allows you to block by individual employer, college, company, etc.

Tip: Adjusting the “Photos and Video I’m tagged In” setting is one of the most important to moderate.

 Finally, there are wonderful ways you can leverage social media to enhance your application.  For those ideas and more check out our blog at StudentAdvisor.com