Emilie Kushner
Senior Editor
As the new school year begins, college-bound seniors are buckling down to get good first semester grades, meet application deadlines and actually get in to college. High test-scores and GPAs are not their only worries, however – keeping up a good online reputation has become more and more important with the ever-growing technology.
Social media has integrated itself into many students’ daily lives and now finds a growing place in the office of college admissions officers. According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 survey of college admissions officers, 24 percent of respondents have gone to either an applicant’s Facebook profile or other social media page, while 20 percent admitted to Googling applicants.* In comparison, the results in 2008 revealed that only 10 percent of schools reported checking social media sites.
The rising frequency of colleges checking online profiles may concern some students, but not all seniors are changing their names for colleges. Senior Abbie Stone (Abbie Pebble) changed her name just for fun. “I didn’t really do it for college,” she said. “Colleges don’t have time to look at every applicant’s Facebook. I did it more just because it’s almost become like a senior tradition. It’s just kind of funny and gives people a chance to be clever with their names!”
This year, students have become more creative with their names than they were in the past. Senior Rebecca Mellinger (Bex Onbex) was one of nine Bex OnBex’s after her friends all changed their Facebook names to that. “All my girlfriends copied Bex OnBex as a joke,” she said. “It was hard to figure out who was who on Facebook but it proved to be funny.” Their joke was also a competition with Steven Nilla – whose friends changed their names as well. “We currently have a war with the multitude of Niller Lites (Steven Nilla)!”
Will the real Niller Lite please stand up?
Senior Dan Getz (Dan Getzme Asandwich) noted the confusion on facebook. “Well I think its a smart thing to do when it comes to getting into college if there’s anything bad on your Facebook, but when twenty people change their names to the same thing it can be pretty confusing,” he said.
Senior Sev Saiz opposes the name change and thinks its unnecessary. “Half the people doing it have nothing bad on their profile,” he said. “No college is going to take the time to look through someone’s profile, and if you’re that concerned you can just make your profile private. It’s just getting across the point to all your Facebook friends that you are cool and have something to hide.”
Sophomore Katie Means expressed in a Facebook status update addressed to the senior class her opinion on the name changing craze. “I think if seniors have something to hide, then it probably shouldn’t be on their Facebook page in the first place,” she said, signing it as Matie Keans. “Changing your name is futile.”
According to School Counselor Jane Mitchell, though the Guidance Department has heard rumors about coaches involved in recruitment checking athletes Facebook profiles, admissions officers do not have time to check every applicant’s Facebook. “You should clean up your Facebook page anyway,” she said. “It may be an important factor when getting a job in the future.”
amen to that kush