▁students ▁who ▁are ▁press ured ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁their ▁account ▁information ▁to ▁tell ▁the ▁administr ators ▁to ▁contact ▁a ▁parent ▁or ▁lawyer ▁before ▁they ▁take ▁the ▁matter ▁any ▁further . ▁Although ▁they ▁are ▁students , ▁they ▁still ▁have ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁password - protected ▁information ▁private . ▁ ▁Before ▁social ▁media , ▁adm issions ▁officials ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁used ▁S AT ▁and ▁other ▁standard ized ▁test ▁scores , ▁extra - curr icular ▁activities , ▁letters ▁of ▁recommendation , ▁and ▁high ▁school ▁report ▁cards ▁to ▁determine ▁whether ▁to ▁accept ▁or ▁den y ▁an ▁applic ant . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 s , ▁while ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁still ▁use ▁these ▁traditional ▁methods ▁to ▁evaluate ▁applic ants , ▁these ▁institutions ▁are ▁increasing ly ▁accessing ▁applic ants ' ▁social ▁media ▁profiles ▁to ▁learn ▁about ▁their ▁character ▁and ▁activities . ▁According ▁to ▁Kap lan , ▁Inc , ▁a ▁corpor ation ▁that ▁provides ▁higher ▁education ▁prepar ation , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁ 2 7 % ▁of ▁adm issions ▁officers ▁used ▁Google ▁to ▁learn ▁more ▁about ▁an ▁applic ant , ▁with ▁ 2 6 % ▁checking ▁Facebook . ▁Stud ents ▁whose ▁social ▁media ▁pages ▁include ▁off ensive ▁j okes ▁or ▁photos , ▁rac ist ▁or ▁hom oph ob ic ▁comments , ▁photos ▁dep ict ing ▁the ▁applic ant ▁eng aging ▁in ▁illegal ▁drug ▁use ▁or ▁d run ken ness , ▁and ▁so ▁on , ▁may ▁be ▁screen ed ▁out ▁from ▁ad mission ▁processes . ▁ ▁Use ▁by ▁law ▁enfor