College applicants clean up social media to improve chances of admission

As colleges and universities have increasingly begun using applicants' social media to judge the candidates, applicants have become more selective of what they do on social media. 

A report from Kaplan Test Prep that polled 403 admissions officers found that only 16 percent of admissions officers that looked into applicants' social media found damaging information, compared to 35 percent finding the same in 2012.

Reasons given for the lack of harmful information found on applicants' social media include the wider variety of social media platforms now being used that make it harder to keep track of a student's activity, as well as students untagging themselves and not using their real names online.

Use of social media as part of the admissions process varies from school to school, with smaller schools looking more into their applicants' online activities. Though some schools may look into their applicants' social media, they do not always disclose whether or not their findings had an effect on students' acceptance. 

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