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.

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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.

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.

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