It came that time of day on a Saturday morning when I, drowned in boredom and procrastination, decided to search Colgate University on TikTok. To my lack of surprise, I was met with a mere handful of videos associated with our school and an even smaller number from active students. Yet, while this result was expected, I pondered the chances of any Colgate student maintaining a consistent micro-influencer status associated with our university, because if they have, I and many others have not been made aware. 

It was a culmination of these circulating thoughts that led me to a somewhat basic “breakthrough” conclusion: Colgate needs a student influencer. As for the type of influencer Colgate needs, well, my mind only landed on one example. Most individuals who keep up with the constant rise and fall of the influencer world have certainly heard of the name Alix Earle.

The 25-year-old influencer accrued a rapidly growing fanbase during her years studying at the University of Miami, in turn drumming up increased publicity and attention for the school. 

By creating an array of “get ready with me” TikTok videos, Earle was able to provide a glimpse into her daily life in a way that was not always so school-centric. Her content provided a realistic portrayal of what it means to be a college student at UMiami, especially regarding the university’s social scene.

Earle’s impact did not stop there. In 2023, Earle started the Alix Earle Scholarship to provide prospective business school students with financial support, a direct contribution to the school that she attributes to a large portion of her social media success.

I can personally attest to Earle’s impact on the scope of college admissions, as a majority of my fellow high school classmates, including myself, applied to the University of Miami — a school that, years prior, seemed a bit far removed for a bunch of kids from southern California.

Whether you like or even know of Alix Earle as a creator, there is no denying that her content impacted admissions at her alma mater. Furthermore, while the general population can critique figures like Earle for being mildly out of touch with reality, her influence on viewers, especially young viewers, is undeniable.

Upon my arrival at Colgate in the fall of 2024, I was credibly informed that my year’s acceptance rate was around 12%. Now, while it is frequently advised not to value a school based on this percentage, what this value does convey is competition, and in today’s world, that can matter more to applicants than whether a school is the right fit or not.

This past year, Colgate’s acceptance rate rose to a whopping 17%, which is no small increase. Competition breeds excellence, and while a five percent increase might mean nothing to some, the Office of Admission might beg to differ.

In this day and age, social media dictates our attention not just to global events, pop culture and trends, but also to things as niche as college admissions. Colgate is in need of a figure to provide our small campus with worldwide media outreach — outreach that could mitigate the decline in applicants.

A person of such nature as Earle can offer a raw perspective on a lifestyle, and, in Colgate’s case, the lifestyle of a student at a top liberal arts institution. A figure like this would even encourage young viewers to look closer at the universities they plan to apply to and maybe even consider adding one more to the list.

While I doubt Earle plans to set foot near Hamilton, N.Y., in the near future, I wholeheartedly believe that our campus needs someone with clout, and lots of it. So, whether it be a beauty guru or a casual streamer, our campus’s future would be in good hands with an influencer in our midst.