According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 survey of college admissions officers at 359 top schools across the United States, nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents from the schools surveyed have gone to an applicant’s Facebook or other social networking page to learn more about them, while 20% have Googled them. When Kaplan first began tracking the issue in 2008, only 10% of schools reported checking applicants’ social networking pages. For more complete results in PDF format, click here: Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 Survey of College Admissions Officers. Below are some key findings:
Have you ever visited an applicant’s Facebook to learn more about them?
- Yes: 24%
- No: 76%
Have you ever Googled an applicant to learn more about them?
- Yes: 20%
- No: 80%
(If “Yes” to above) Have you ever discovered something online about an applicant that negatively affected their application?
- Yes: 12%
- No: 88%
Does your school use Facebook to recruit students?
- Yes: 85%
- No: 15%
How confident are you that the SAT is an effective tool in measuring students’ future success at your school?
- Confident: 94%
- Not confident: 6%
How confident are you that the ACT is an effective tool in measuring students’ future success at your school?
- Confident: 96%
- Not confident: 4%
