One out of 10 undergraduate admissions officers use applicants' pages on social networking Web sites, like Facebook and MySpace, in the applicant evaluation process, according to Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions' annual college admissions officers' survey, released this month.
Social networking sites are not a tool used by Penn State Undergraduate Admissions officers though, said Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions Anne Rohrbach.
"Our decisions are based primarily on the student's high school performance from ninth through 11th grade," Rohrbach said.
The study included input from 320 admissions officers from the top 500 universities in the United States. Of the officers who use social networking pages, 25 percent said what they see on these sites has a positive impact while 38 percent said what they see has a negative impact on a student's evaluation. However, Rohrbach stressed the importance of using good taste with social networking.
"We expect Penn State students to demonstrate social and personal responsibility. A student's social networking site should represent the values of the individual -- values that we can be proud to welcome to our Penn State community," Rohrbach said.
Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions Pre-Law Director Glen Stohr cautioned students not to write anything disparaging about the admissions process.
"To some extent it is not inappropriate pictures of partying that will hurt you, but it is more of having a discussion about the application process in which you say that one school is better than the other and an admissions officer from the latter happens to read your post. Your credibility is blown," Stohr said.
Currently schools are uncertain what roles social networking sites should play in the evaluation process, Stohr said.
Amanda Drop (senior-marketing) and Rachel Litwak (senior-finance) said they were unaware admissions officers are more concerned with what students write online than with the pictures they post.
If students knew admissions officers were looking at what they write, then they would think twice about their online posts, Drop said.
"Students need to be informed that admissions officers are looking at the comments you write and not necessarily the pictures you post," she added.
Although Drop and Litwak agreed social networking sites are public Web sites, neither was enthusiastic about the possibility admissions officers would use them to make their decisions.
"If you are a good student who can balance school with other activities then you should not be judged by what you write online," Litwak said.
