“Facebook Sabotage” Afflicting College Applicants

We’ve spent time writing on the ReputationDefender Blog about the perils of inappropriate social networking with regard to college applications, but we caught a new story which puts a whole different twist on the dangers of poorly managed online profiles.

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With record numbers of applications pouring into the nation’s top universities this fall, college admissions officers have begun to notice a strange trend. As competition for admission into selective universities becomes tighter and applicants are seeking additional ways to distinguish themselves, some students (or their parents) have begun sending anonymous messages to admissions officers that sabotage other applicants.

Pointing admissions officers to unflattering Facebook or MySpace profiles of competing students, sneaky applicants are hoping to disqualify others to increase their own chances of admission. What’s even worse,  because many of the anonymous saboteurs are fellow classmates of the victim, privacy settings are likely to be ineffective in preventing access to a student’s dirty laundry. As if that weren’t bad enough, some of these schemers have even resorted to spreading outright lies about their peers to help dissuade colleges.

While some colleges don’t take these anonymous messages seriously, there are others who pursue every bit of information when they’re making a decision. If all that stands between you and another applicant is an embarrassing picture or a distortion of your character, that could be all that it takes to move your name to the rejected pile.

As disturbing as it is that this type of behavior would take place, it is just one more example of the importance of maintaining a strong online reputation. As the leader in the Online Reputation Management Industry, ReputationDefender is proud to offer a variety of services to help keep you looking good on the web.