Facebook Checks

[El Salvaje]

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So I already went on a search for this answer and the replies seemed to be mostly sarcastic comments or pre-professionals bickering with one another (same old, same old).

However, I think this deserves a serious discussion as to whether adcoms screen/care about what you have on your facebook as long as it isnt anything blatantly illegal. I, like many of you I'm sure, have a few pictures of me drinking on my fb but all after turning 21 and all hanging out with my buddies at a party or on vacation having fun. Nothing where I'm falling down or visibly drunk but even then I feel that's besides the point. In my opinion people should be free to seperate their professional from their personal lives. Who cares if your dentist has a few drinks at a party, what his political views are or even if he smokes cigarettes (which mine did for five years btw)? He is a competent and courteous dentist and that's all I've ever asked of him. As long as he isn't showing up to drill my teeth blacked out then really he's an adult and can enjoy whatever liberties this great country allows.

So, million dollar question, if you have your full privacy settings on then are schools going to hack into your account anyway like many companies do with their employees and scrutinize your personal life or are they just not that concerned with it?

 

[redchesus]

I highly doubt the schools will spend the money for some company to gather your Facebook information. Think of how many potential students there are. Still, you should be selective of what goes online, because it's not ever completely private (esp. with FB's awesome privacy policy).

 

[PhoebeAZ]

You don't have to worry about this if you don't have a facebook🙂 Honestly this is one of the reasons I don't. I just don't like the idea of having personal information about myself on the web in any form. In answer to your question though, I think schools may do an online search of applicants they are interested in just to make sure nothing comes up immediately. I don't think they are going to go out of their way to find all your info online. Probably just a google search and check for facebook, myspace, twitter accounts, etc.

Good news for me, when I google myself a couple of high school and college achievements come up.

 

[minoh87]

nice. heres where being an asian comes in advantage. our names are very generic good luck with sorting thru 100 hits on a search. HA!

 

[beatsdre]

If you are worried about that, then just google/deepsearch yourself and see what comes up. I doubt anything major will and if you're concerned by it, then it can always be deleted.

 

[txlonghorn]

I don't think schools will check facebook. However, they prob will do background checks. I know that business schools use the services of Kroll.

 

[hoylematt]

So my wife works at a tutoring center and her boss was reprimanded because she became friends with some of the students on facebook. The parents complained because half of the pictures were her half-naked with booze in her hand falling all over herself.

It was no suprise when the memo came out the next week, "No student Facebook friends."

I know this story was a bit off topic, but your post reminded me of it.

 

[redchesus]

You don't have to worry about this if you don't have a facebook🙂 Honestly this is one of the reasons I don't. I just don't like the idea of having personal information about myself on the web in any form.

It's pretty hard for me to get rid of my FB account. It's the easiest way to keep in touch with long distance friends, esp. foreign friends or those who are out of the country. It's a whole lot more practical to have their updates show up on my FB newsfeed so I can see what's going on with their lives, than for me to e-mail them every week asking what's up.

I'm on FB under a nickname though, so people can't find me unless I want to find them. You could always do that.

I don't think schools will check facebook. However, they prob will do background checks. I know that business schools use the services of Kroll.

Background checks are a given. What we're talking are legal things that are considered unprofessional.

 

[IronJeff]

here's the best free comprehensive people search engine on earth:
http://pipl.com/
many institutions use these simple engines because they're quick, cheap and easy. google is a no-brainer, but it delivers it's own algorithms which traditionally deliver people searches that are not geographically accurate.
the world of internets, enjoy! :/

 

[jirotrom]

here's the best free comprehensive people search engine on earth:
http://pipl.com/
many institutions use these simple engines because they're quick, cheap and easy. google is a no-brainer, but it delivers it's own algorithms which traditionally deliver people searches that are not geographically accurate.
the world of internets, enjoy! :/

wow