A new survey released by Kaplan has been making the news recently. When 500 admissions officers at top colleges were polled, 82% said that they "use Facebook to recruit prospective students" (see the survey here). Despite what many sensationalized news articles may suggest, this statistic does not mean that 82% of admissions officers are trying to get dirt on you by looking at your profile. "Recruiting" students is not the same thing as researching a student's Facebook profile. Indeed, many admissions offices have Facebook fan pages, and many create Facebook pages to share information and create dialogue with prospective and accepted students. This is all part of "recruiting."
Some admissions officers will, in fact, try to learn more information about applicants through social media, but the number is going to be far less than 82%. A 2008 Kaplan survey showed that 10% of admissions officers would actually take the extra step to learn more about applicants through social media. Even this smaller number is not insignificant, so to protect yourself, be sure to delete these 12 Facebook photos now, and follow these social media tips.
Comments