So my friends and I were fooling around and acting stupid for one day, when I had a few close up photos of a beer bottle on my mouth, with a clear logo taken of me. I didn’t worry too much about it but the photo has spread to someone who does not like me at all.
Recently, he’s been sneeringly taunting me at school that he will send the photo to colleges and rescind my acceptances. Anything to do? It’s freaking me out.
I really doubt they would rescind you. Let this be a lesson in allowing photos (or being in) compromising situations.
If you did not get caught at school or have any school record, it is not going to do anything. No one really care to find out who is in the photo. After all, they cannot verify it. Do you think the adcoms are out of work?
a similar thing happened to a friend’s child. The school notified the parent that someone had anonymously submitted a photo of the applicant doing something that they clearly shouldn’t have been doing. I supposed what school it is will determine somewhat how they weigh the information, but in this case it was one of the more liberal schools and they seemed more concerned that some mean person had done this to the applicant, more so than the child had done something they shouldnt’ have done. The photo was taken completely without the applicant’s knowledge. No threats or warnings were made to the applicant ahead of time. It was pure anonymous vindictiveness at play.
I think you shouldn’t be worried, but this is a hard lesson learned for you. Wherever you are nowadays someone could take your photo, even in a private party setting or a private moment, as happened to this other applicant.
The applicant was accepted by the college, BTW. I think colleges know that kids try things out sometimes and don’t hold small indiscretions against them. The big indiscretion was the sneaky cowardly act of reporting on the applicant anonymously, IMHO
Generally, NEVER have pictures of you with alcohol or drugs taken. It means you can’t be drunk or high in public to the point you don’t know what’s going on, and in a crowd as many people are friends as are potential foes. And this becomes worse in college. Until there’s a “right to be forgotten” in the US like in the EU, whatever is posted online follows you forever and employers DO check. And, pro tip, there are employees whose sole job is to monitor what you do with the company phone/computer.
Ok, next: colleges won’t care about a picture of you holding a beer, sent anonymously. Do you really think they don’t know teenagers drink beer? (Have you been to a campus lately? Even a dry campus)?
They WILL care about what you post on social networks or groupmes (there’s been rescissions for vile memes for instance). Basically, never post anything, verbal or visual, even if you find it hilarious, that you couldn’t say in class or in front of your parents.
When your “foe” threatens you, just say “go ahead, make my day”. 
(How do they even know where you applied BTW?)
I agree with all of the first five comments.
However, one thing does come to mind. Is there anything in the picture that clearly says where you are? Are you 18? If you are 18 years old and if this were to happen in the province of Quebec, then this would be perfectly legal. Even if you have never been to Quebec, or never been to Canada, does the picture prove any of this?
I would definitely avoid doing this again, but I doubt that this one will mess up your chances.
I would tell this person that he probably would get into more trouble than you by submitting it. It is a form of bullying.
Honestly I would not worry about it. The kid is a jerk. Next time he taunts you record it. I’m certain colleges don’t like to hear about applicants blackmailing people either, plus it is illegal.
I highly doubt colleges would take it seriously. Also, does that person even know what colleges you are applying to in the first place? If not then you are safe because they will have no idea who to even send the photo to. They sure as heck are not going to shotgun the some thousands of colleges in the US with it…LOL
Like @oldfort mentioned, it is also bullying and colleges are more likely to take action against the person who hates you rather than yourself.
Threaten to report to kid’s own college that he is the kind of person who will resort to sneaky acts as sending photos of another admitted student drinking beer.
@Dustyfeathers Was the applicant particularly known to have committed the act? Did she do it in a larger event? My particular photo was just with a couple of friends and not many people know about it.
Thank you for your comment and story though. It calms my nerves