For my honors colloquium course, free expression and social media, I looked into whether or not social media plays a role in college admissions. I also investigated whether post-graduate institutions, including medicals schools, follow similar trends.

1. The Price Social
Media has on
College Admissions
Sofia Rahmanzai

2. Statistics
● In 2016, 40% using social media
● This year, 35%
● 53% -, 47% +
● Student admitted to felony online, not
reported
● Student involved in LGTBQ panel
● “More interested in her overall and
encouraged us to imagine how she
would help out the community”

3. Other Ways Admissions Officers are
using Social Media
● Noted 10 years ago, 61% used it to recruit
students
● Enrollments can be low, competition high
● 41% of school officials “believe they can
directly attribute an increase in
enrollment to their social media efforts

4. Research Questions
1. How are admissions officers able to find certain information about
applicants online?
2. What are ways applicants can better prepare themselves for these
“social media checks” and how can they create a positive “virtual
impression?”
3. How can social media affect acceptance into more rigorous post-
graduate institutions and full-time careers?

5. How are Admissions Officers Viewing Info
Online?
● Google
● Anything public
● Some paying companies
○ Why?

6. Tips and Tricks from The Princeton Review
● Choose your online name wisely
● Check privacy settings
● Filter through online photos/tags
● Google yourself!

7. How to “Shine” Online by The Princeton
Review
● Create a LinkedIn
○ Gain connections/knowledge in your field
○ Upload resumes and documents
● Participate in online groups (related to colleges)
○ Shows your interested
○ Learn more about prospective colleges
● Share professional journals/articles
● Keep a positive presence
● If you aren’t happy with Google search, change it!
○ Start own blog
○ Comment (professionally) on various news outlets
○ Focus on online school activity -> high up in search

8. Example Google Search
1. LinkedIn
2. Facebook (limited)
3. Instagram (private)
4. Youtube -> RA Intro. Video
5. Student Government Link
6. Pinterest (public)
7. Honors Program -> About Me
8. Google + account (limited)
9. Corporate Cup Run -> Results
10. UNMC SURP -> Poster presentation Info.

9. How Can Social Media Affect Post-Grad
Admissions and Careers?
● Greatest concern are controversial/offensive posts
○ Some admissions teams having a beer bottle won’t kill a student’s chances
○ CNN notes examples: “I can kill my teacher” or quoting song lyrics not
obvious to all
● Some monitor what applicant may be saying about the school
○ It can help or hurt a student
○ Negative: could be as small as posting something negative about their
cafeteria
○ CNN notes if applicants have same credentials, some schools go to social
media
■ Want more enthusiastic and engaged applicants
■ Ex. student comments on one college’s instagram, in his profile
picture, wearing shirt of another school

10. How Does Social Media Affect Medical
School Admissions?
● Canadian experiment involving 15/17 medical schools (2016)
○ Qualitative study; explored how SM was used in admissions
● Hoped to answer these questions:
○ Determine whether social media presence is being reviewed during the
admissions process in Canadian medical schools
○ Describe how and why social media presence is being reviewed
○ Explore participants’ attitudes regarding the morality and utility (or value)
of reviewing social media presence during the admissions process
○ Determine whether schools have formal policies regarding review of
applicants’ social media presence during the admissions process

11. How Does Social Media Affect Medical
School Admissions?
● Methods of Experiment
○ 15 medical schools participated; qualitative descriptive
methodology used
○ Phone interviews with highest ranked people in the office
○ Interviews went on for 3 months
■ Wanted to ensure all questions were asked and expanded
○ Then grouped data in themes
■ Essentially if SM allowed for acceptance or rejection

12. How Does Social Media Affect Medical
School Admissions?
● Results and Conclusions
○ Great amount said they used SM for secondary use, none said they used it
for primary
■ They only looked into it if questioned behaviour
○ Main concern they had was whether it was valid or fair
■ “If it is done for one person, it has to be done for everybody… ”
■ “Personally I feel like it’s a bit of a violation of their privacy although it is
public [...] Can we make real judgements about people based on these
things? How much digging do we need to do before we’re confident that
they’re good enough to be a medical doctor?”
○ Admissions officers expressed openness to it for future use