Colleges Snoop on Applicants' Online Lives

Admissions, financial aid officers 'fess up to checking social networking pages

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 29, 2009 6:30 AM CDT

(Newser) – A quarter of colleges check applicants' social networking pages or run their names through search engines, according to a new report. The colleges didn't say whether their online findings could make or break an application, but the study's authors believe overly candid online postings have the potential to sink one's chances. "No school wants to give a prestigious scholarship to someone standing on a beer keg and wearing a lampshade," said its author.

A director of the counselors' association told the Los Angeles Times that the takeaway is clear: "Don't post anything that you don't want your mother or father or college admission officer to see."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

College hopefuls are advised to steer clear of overly candid postings online, or at least to make sure their security settings are tight. (©Mathieu Ramage)

College admissions and financial aid officers sometimes peek at applicants' social networking pages, according to new report. (Shutter Stock)

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No school wants to give a prestigious scholarship to someone standing on a beer keg and wearing a lampshade. - Nora Ganim Barnes, director of the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 5 comments

Mad

Apr 29, 2009 5:21 AM CDT

LOL, Tim, are you still jonesing after Clinton? My god, the power and hold Clinton continues to weld over the republicans awes me! Such a magnificent obsession

BleeBloo

Apr 29, 2009 3:47 AM CDT

If someone is doing kegstands in high school--which is illegal in all 50 states of this country--I would be concerned with their affection for drink turning into something more serious and preventing them from succeeding. Also, if they don't have the good sense to either make their profile private on facebook and myspace, or to not post incriminating pictures of themselves, or to not untag themselves from incriminating pictures others have posted, they probably aren't as smart as they look on paper.

Nwambe

Apr 29, 2009 2:17 AM CDT

or, y'know, how future George Bush clones will get C averages at Yale and have parents bail them out after going on coke-fueled binges at their local chapter of the Skull and Crossbones society.

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Colleges Snoop on Applicants' Online Lives