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Facebook and Myspace are the places to be -- unless you're applying to college. It's no news that  

social networks

  lack privacy, but the latest trend in admissions is checking out profiles of prospective students, whether they like it or not.

According to a recent study by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, a division of Kaplan, Inc., in which 500 of the nation's most selective colleges were surveyed, 10 percent of admissions officers** have checked out a hopeful student's social networking profile in order to make their decision. The problem? For 38 percent of those college administrators, their opinions of a student took a turn for the worst.

Though people will argue the ethics involved here, it's not uncommon for officials to probe your online profile whether you're applying to an undergraduate program or your first job. Years ago the advice would have been to delete your accounts, but social networks have become society's status quo with everyone from big business to John Doe using them to their advantage. While social networks can be a great asset when making connections, they can be bad news if you're portraying the wrong persona. Here are some quick tips for putting your best virtual foot forward:

1. It's all in the name. Depending on the network you join, you should either use a unique username (good for sites like Twitter, LiveJournal, Xanga, Gaia Online, and more) or your real name (appropriate and often required for places like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Friendster).

The difference? The former group of social networks stresses being social, with people trading interests, comments, and blogs, so it's not the sort of profile you necessarily want a prospective school looking at. Using your real name on one of these networks is tantamount to inviting an admissions officer to hang out with your friends and goof around.

Contrast this to the second group of networks, which are aimed at netting you contacts and face time with acquaintances in real life. If someone searches for your name online it's better for them to find a professional-looking profile on Facebook than a casual one on LiveJournal that lists your latest rant on TV shows. Which brings us to --

2. No trash talk. You might not appreciate your prospective college's stance on student lunches, or like what a classmate wore to school recently, but there's no reason to say as much on your profile. Project a positive image or risk ruining your rep.

3. Censor yourself. If it's not something you'd shout from the rooftops or say in front of a group of people, it's probably not something you should post online.

4. Smile for the camera. A picture is worth a thousand words and, should you choose the wrong profile pic, they won't be very complimentary. So skip the party pics and choose the photo you'd be comfortable showing your grandparents.

5. Keep your guard up. Certain social networks, like Facebook and Myspace, allow you to restrict who has access to searching for and/or looking at your profile. It's something to consider if you plan on ignoring the last few items, but are adamant about staying on your social network.

Have you ever had a problem because of your profile? Sound off!

** According to Kaplan, representatives from 500 colleges were solicited for the survey, with 350 admissions officers responding.

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