College admissions officers still use social media for admissions, like this businessman with social media icons.

College admissions officers still use social media, survey says


What's more, the percentage of admissions officers tapping into online profiles is on the rise

More and more admissions officers are using applicants’ social media profiles as part of the admissions process, according to a survey from Kaplan Test Prep.

Thirty-six percent of the nearly 300 admissions officers polled visit social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to learn more about applicants–up from 25 percent last year and following a three-year decline in the practice since the high mark of 40 percent in Kaplan’s 2015 survey of 288 admissions officers. This comes as teens are increasingly using newer social platforms such as TikTok and Twitch.

Related content: Do admissions officers rely on social media?

Of admissions officers who have checked out an applicant’s social media footprint, about one in five (19 percent) say they do it “often,” significantly higher than the 11 percent who said they checked “often” in the 2015 survey.

Laura Ascione
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