College & Workforce Readiness

College-Admissions Officers Check Out Students on Facebook

By Caralee J. Adams — April 22, 2011 1 min read
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Attention high school students: Facebook isn’t just for chatting with your friends. College-admissions officers are watching you. Be careful about what you post, but think of ways your online profile can work for you.

Seventy percent of college-admissions officers said Facebook profiles are a medium or high priority in the admission process, according to Kaplan’s 2010 College Admissions Survey and recently packaged as an infographic by Schools.com, an interactive site that provides students with information on degree programs and schools. However, the officials also said students’ social-media profiles have generally helped them get accepted (62 percent). Still, 38 percent said students’ online profiles hurt their chances.

Colleges are realizing that to reach students, they need to be where students are. So, 82 percent of the country’s top colleges report using Facebook as a recruiting tool. Prospective students can check out a school’s Facebook page to follow the latest news and happenings on campus.

The Kaplan survey was conducted by telephone in July and August of 2010 with 386 admissions officers from the nation’s top 500 schools participating.

And if you’re applying to college, here’s a site with ideas about how to use social media to your advantage

A version of this news article first appeared in the College Bound blog.