Answer: Can it? Sure. Will it? Probably not…in most cases.
You should think of anything you post on the web as accessible by anybody – including college and university officials. Will they access it? Probably not in most situations, but it depends. At some institutions – generally private and smaller, but not always – someone may try to confirm whether or not something you share on your application is true or significant. Facebook could be one place they look. Think more broadly about ‘admissions’ though…also consider your interests in being ‘accepted’ by particular groups, clubs, sororities/fraternities, etc.
See all answers by Philip Ballinger, Director of Admissions, University of Washington.
Answer: Think about the persona you display to the public.
Sure it can. Derogatory comments about a deferral or photos of behavior that an admissions office might term “risky” could cause a college to question the persona represented in your application. There’s no doubt that admissions officers have better things to do than view Facebook profiles, but there’s no way to assure they won’t be forwarded something from an anonymous source or an alumnus who encounters something disturbing. It’s never happened to one of my students, but every year I hear a story or two about something that an admissions officer had to investigate with regards to an applicant and a social networking site; in one case the student had already been accepted. Is it a common issue for applicants? No. Can it happen? Yes. If colleges are randomly checking the veracity of extracurriculars and activities, it’s not far-fetched to think they might also start randomly looking at Facebook profiles.
See all answers by Jon Wimbish, Upper School Dean, Harvard Westlake School
Answer: Play it safe and keep it clean or you could derail college dreams.
While it is unlikely that a Facebook post is going to be seen by an admissions officer, it could be in the following instances, so do not risk it. An admissions officer looks up your name on the Internet to learn more about an award you won and stumbles onto your Facebook page. Or you are being considered for a prestigious scholarship or special recognition along with your admissions, so to ensure they do not end up looking foolish the college or university does some digging. Finally, you can give ammunition to someone who has a score to settle with you that they anonymously share with admissions. Don’t take the chance.
See all answers by Scott Hamilton, Founder, Future Stars College Counseling Center
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