(US News & World Report ) Darian Somers —
Your first impression on a college admissions officer involves more than just an essay, a transcript and some test scores.
According to new data, colleges and universities pay attention to what prospective students post on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
In a Kaplan Test Prep survey of more than 350 college admissions officers in the U.S., 35 percent of officers polled reported having looked at applicants’ social media accounts to learn more about them.
“One student described on Twitter that she facilitated an LGBTQ panel for her school, which wasn’t in her application. This made us more interested in her overall and encouraged us to imagine how she would help out the community,” one officer said in a release provided by Kaplan.
While the overall number of officers who review social media is down 5 percentage points from last year, 47 percent of officers who do check social media profiles say the practice positively affects how they view applicants.
[Find out how you can major in social media.]
Kaplan worked with 365 admissions officers around the country at the best national, regional and liberal arts colleges ranked by U.S. News. Of the officers who look at social media, 25 percent of them look “often” – a number that’s up from 11 percent over last year.
“To be clear, the large majority of admissions officers do not visit applicants’ social media sites,” Yariv Alpher, executive director of research at Kaplan Test Prep, said in a release.”However, a meaningful number do, as many note that social media can provide a more authentic and holistic view of applicants beyond the polished applications. And in fact, past Kaplan surveys have shown that a majority of students themselves consider their social networking sites to be ‘fair game’ for admissions officers.”
According to the release, officers that did check social media and saw negative posts – including the brandishing of weapons and “questionable language” – sometimes rescinded offers or became hesitant in accepting students.
“College applicants need to be aware of what others can find about them on social networks and make sure it reflects well on them,” said Alpher. “For better or worse, social media has become an established factor in college admissions, and it’s more important than ever for applicants to make wise decisions.”
Alpher added: “If you’re not sure what to post, ask a parent or high school counselor. If you’re still not sure, then the best course of action might be to not post it at all.”
