5 Ways Social Media Can Help Students with College Planning

College planning can be overwhelming, even for families that begin the process years in advance. Scores of details need to be identified and tracked for each school, including academic reputation, enrollment processes, location, community culture and costs. Rare is the family that does not face serious frustration along the way.

But have no fear. Social media can make the process easier.

Social media is now an important tool in helping students research and ultimately choose the right college. Nearly three-quarters of students use social media to research colleges and a third of students find this information influential, according to a recent report on admissions and social media by Zinch, a service that helps match students with colleges.

Don’t know which social media tools to use or where to start? Here are some tips:

Social Media Networks: Most colleges use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to engage with prospective students and introduce them to academic offerings, campus life and expectations. Social networking is a great way to learn about a college through the eyes of other prospective students, current students, alumni and faculty. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, check to see if your college of choice is active on Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram.

LinkedIn recently launched University Pages, a great place for you to explore colleges, expand your understanding of available careers and build a network of peers and supporters. Launched in August, more than 200 schools now have University Pages. Some students have found the pages helpful to connect directly with university admissions counselors and administrators.

CollegeWeekLive gives you the opportunity to chat live with admissions representatives and students from hundreds of U.S. universities. The site also offers a ton of resources to help you with the college planning process. CollegeWeekLive also holds virtual college fairs, enabling you to reach out directly to a school via text and video chat. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and get insights about what a school is really like.

College Greenlight lets you compare top college picks by admissions deadlines, financial aid and scholarship opportunities. You can also find information about academics and social culture, making it easier for you to find your dream campus.

A Great Way to Get Started

Social media cannot replace an actual campus visit. But it’s a great way to get familiar with schools and find out what they have to offer.

And once you have collected all this information, you’ll need a place to store it for future reference. Google Drive is a great place for you to keep all your documents and photos in one place. This clouds storage service offers up to five gigabytes of storage for free and allows you to sync your information with computers, tablets and mobile devices. You can also share documents with others.

Good luck with your future plans and finding the college that is perfect for you!