“I wouldn’t advise [students] to totally get rid of their social media presence,” said Jeff Olson, Kaplan Test Prep’s vice president of data science. “The best advice, I think, is to think first and tweet later, and remember that you don’t have to share every thought and experience with friends online.”
Higher education admissions officials have said applicants’ online miscues include openly bullying peers, posting pictures showing underage drinking or recreational drug use, and bragging about fights or academic dishonesty.
“Students need to be able to express their individuality,” Olson said, “but the digital trail has really become a wild card in the college application process. … Students should remember that.”
Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FastWeb.com and conductor of a 2011 survey examining the use of Google in admissions offices, said leveraging publicly available information made perfect sense for colleges and universities sifting through thousands of applications.
“They want students to reflect well on the organization,” Kantrowitz said. “The last thing a scholarship provider wants to hear is their student just got arrested for running a campus drug ring.”
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