Do college admission officers look up the social media accounts of their applicants when deciding whom to accept and whom to reject? Some do and some don’t, but according to a recent article on “U.S. News.com,” a substantial number of colleges and universities pay attention to what applicants have posted on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. In fact, statistics from a recent study indicate that 35% of college admission officers in the U.S. have reported looking at the social media accounts of their prospective students to learn more about them. According to the study, they believe that “social media can provide a more authentic and holistic view of applicants beyond the polished applications.”
College-bound students, therefore, should be very careful of the images they are projecting of themselves on social media sites. Among the type of posts that admission officers view negatively are those of students brandishing weapons and those where students use obscene language. After all, the job of college admission officers is to identify students who will not only succeed academically, but will also reflect positively on their institution.