College Admission Officers Using Facebook, Google More Frequently

The Chicago Tribune has a piece out this week that shows college admissions officers are disqualifying applicants based on material that they find online. Sought after schools are using sites like MySpace and Facebook to learn more about students.

The idea that a lapse in cyber-judgment could alter a life trajectory might once have been dismissed as paranoia.

But with some admissions officers confirming in a new survey that they visit social-networking sites, high schoolers say getting into college is no longer only about sky-high test scores and impressive extracurricular activities. Now it means being smart about their online personas as well.

In a new survey, 10 percent of admissions officers from prestigious schools said they had peeked at sites like Facebook and MySpace to evaluate college-bound seniors. Of those using the profiles, 38 percent said it had a “negative impact” on the applicant, according to Kaplan Inc., the education services company that polled the officers.

[SNIP]

With colleges expecting a record number of applications this year, the survey results should serve as a wake-up call for both students and parents, he said.

“Today’s application is not just what you send . . . but whatever they can Google about you,” Olson said.

Drunk Facebook

This illustrates the importance of cultivating a positive online reputation. Students, job seekers and executives are learning that people make judgments based on what they find on Google and Social Networking Sites. And teachers? You have to watch what you place online, as well.

6 comments ↓

#1 Paul Lloyd Hemphill on 09.24.08 at 6:35 am

Here’s a video on the issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfTM-F8wXdE

#2 Greg on 09.25.08 at 4:52 pm

Thanks! Appreciate it!

#3 ReputationDefender Blog : Glamorizing Drinking on Facebook Could Come Back to Haunt You on 10.01.08 at 5:01 pm

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#4 Getaccepted on 10.13.08 at 11:45 pm

A growing number of graduate school admissions and college officers are turning to Facebook for recruiting, communicating with potential students and providing up-to-date news on the school through the social networking site, instead of relying on more traditional recruiting methods like mass mailings or emails, according to an article in Business Week .

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#6 Who is watching you online ? | peppersauce on 11.23.08 at 10:51 pm

[…] this: More schools are looking towards sites like Facebook and Google to gather information about potential students. According to a quote in the Chicago Tribune, “Today’s application is not just what you […]

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