Do Colleges Actually Check Your Social Media?

Many students wonder whether admissions officers scroll through their Instagram or TikTok before making a decision. The short answer: they could, and most think it’s fair to, but most don’t. When they do look, it’s usually because something made them curious.

What admissions officers say

Kaplan Test Prep has surveyed college admissions officers about this for years. In its most recent published results, from 2023:

• 67% said checking an applicant’s social media is “fair game,” up from 57% five years earlier.
• 28% said they had actually done it, a number that has stayed about the same over that time.
• 33% said it’s an invasion of privacy and shouldn’t be done at all.

So more officers think it’s acceptable than before, but the share who actually look hasn’t grown. Kaplan also found that when officers do look, they’re more likely to find something that hurts an application than something that helps it.

When a closer look is more likely

Colleges don’t generally screen every applicant’s accounts. A check is more likely when something raises a question:

• Something doesn’t match. What’s public online seems to contradict something in the application.
• Someone sends a tip. Another person reports something to the college.
• You answered “yes” to a discipline question. The Common App asks about school discipline, and a “yes” is the moment a college is most likely to look more closely.

The case everyone remembers

In 2017, Harvard took back admission offers from at least 10 incoming students. They had joined a private group chat that started from the official Class of 2021 Facebook group. The chat was full of memes joking about sexual assault, the Holocaust, the deaths of children, and racial and ethnic groups.

Harvard wasn’t scanning students’ accounts. The posts came to light because they were shared with many people in a large group, and someone noticed. The lesson is simple: a “private” chat with dozens of people isn’t private.

What to do (and not do)

• Don’t panic and delete everything. Normal teenage posts aren’t a problem, and colleges aren’t routinely reviewing them.
• Don’t build a “perfect” feed for admissions. Since officers rarely look, a polished profile probably won’t help much.
• Think before you post in group chats. Anything you share with a group can be screenshotted and passed along.
• Be honest on your application. If you answer a discipline question, answer it truthfully. Getting caught in a lie is far worse than the original problem.
• Remember the offer isn’t final until you arrive. Colleges can take back admission after you’ve been accepted, as the Harvard case shows.

Key takeaways

• Most admissions officers don’t check social media, but about two-thirds think it’s fair to.
• A closer look usually has a reason, like a tip, an inconsistency, or a discipline record.
• What you post can follow you after you’re admitted, especially offensive content in group chats.
• Spend your energy on what matters more: your grades, essays, and activities.

For the full survey details and sources, read CollegeIntel’s breakdown of whether colleges check social media. It’s a good reminder that common sense online goes a long way.