Admissions counselors are sometimes shocked at the e-mail addresses students submit on college applications. Addresses starting with PartyAnimal or lazegirl have crossed their desks.

Graduating seniors, take note. This is the digital age. And that means being smart about how you market yourself online for the next stage of life, whether you're seeking work or a ticket into college.

Google yourself. Pages of information are available at the click of a mouse, from blog posts to online class projects to arrest records. The trick is to use the new tools available online to boost your reputation, not to ruin it. Showcasing professional talents or major projects may help land a job.

In Des Moines, Iowa, some students create electronic resumes and portfolios they can keep either on a CD or a Web page to show projects to future employers or colleges.

High school senior Kyle Vansice says his portfolio from a computer-aided design and drafting class helped him get a construction internship last summer.

The firm had just switched computer programs and "needed people who know how to do this. I gave it to them on a CD," he said.

Kyle plans to return to the internship again this summer before going to Iowa State University to study construction engineering.

His teacher, Marcia Elliott, said students need to demonstrate their versatility.

"I've had several kids come back and say, my college requires a portfolio of all my work," Elliot said. "It's been more the private-sector-type college, but they want to know what kind of student they're getting."

Increasingly, colleges are going online for everything — some even waive application fees if students apply online, as it lessens the time spent on paperwork.

While most admissions counselors don't have time to Google every applicant, they do searches on some students on MySpace or Facebook if they want to learn more about them or something catches their attention. Employers do the same.

Admissions counselors and employers say they like to see creative layouts and photos, information about what clubs or sports students are in, or stories about their experiences, such as travels or competitions.

What they don't want to find is a tasteless MySpace page or an ugly e-mail address.

Drake University admissions director Laura Linn said she has seen e-mail addresses that range from the inappropriate PartyAnimal to the witty CollegeHopeful200 and BulldogFan.

"It becomes a question of judgment," Linn said. "Knowing that your e-mail address can be and will be used outside your circle of friends is part of that critical thinking process."

If students really want to keep their information guarded, they should place private settings on such sites so that only friends can view them.

Students also should take a look at what they have posted about themselves, and edit if necessary, experts say.

They also should be aware of how much information is available online, and what will be available.

Police arrests and complaints are mostly public. Many college police departments post daily reports online, including names, and will respond to requests for information about people.

Universities that receive federal money must provide timely notice of crimes that occur on or near campus, said Gene Deisinger, commander with the Iowa State University police.

David Visin, of the University of Iowa police, said his department responds to information requests daily, mostly on former students who are applying for sensitive government jobs or the military.