<p>i'm doing an article about privacy issues in america, and someone recently told me that colleges try to match their applicants up with their users on this forum. is that true? seems weird to me, and it seems like they wouldn't have the time or need to do this. if they do, do they do it through 'chances' threads or through ip address or what? any info would be great! thanks!</p>
<p>It would not surprise me.
So many of the top colleges have AdCom members posting and reading the forums.
That’s why I never post my Stats and don’t write stuff like “College X is my safety in case I dont get into HYPSM”</p>
<p>There is no privacy in America. ;)</p>
<p>I doubt that anyone in an admissions office can spend a lot of time trying to connect screen names with real names, but I’m sure some people are pretty easy to figure out because they give so much information online. I have many friends who work at a well-known university, and I have at times forwarded them “interesting” things from here. I don’t do it so they can look up people and get them in trouble or flag their app or anything like that, but because I think they’d like to know what people are saying about their department, etc.</p>
<p>Unless there’s a need for tracking spider programs, why in the world do you think admissions officers would evenwant more information to rifle through?</p>
<p>Can you imagine this at the New Haven admissions office?</p>
<p>Office worker: “Hi John: How was your weekend? Here are the spider program printouts of the 4000 applicants you have to read. They haven’t been sorted and it’s only raw data. About 200 of yours have made appearances on CC. Have a nice day. Oh by the way. How are the 500 early action applications coming along? I know you just started to get them a few weeks ago and your decisions are needed by end of November. Let me know when you need the next batch of data. Keep up the good work. The 30000 applications we get this year will be yummy!”</p>
<p>This is college admissions not the vetting process for the NSA.</p>
<p>Remember, they’ve been doing this (and doing it well in their eyes) for a long time. To use internet combing technology would be spurious for them.</p>
<p>@mollymauk and youdon’tsay: but you think it’s mainly from chance threads? cuz i don’t really see any other way to do it unless they track ip addresses or something. </p>
<p>@t26e4: that’s what i would think. i don’t see how they’d have the time or need to do it. but it sounds like some people think they do for some reason.</p>
<p>time to set up a IP blocker :)</p>
<p>Since anyone can come on this forum and claim that they are anyone, such a tracking wouldn’t really be worth anything.</p>
<p>I could say that I’m Cathy from XXXX high school, and I want to go to Yale, but that doesn’t mean that I’m the same Cathy from XXXX high school that really is applying to Yale.</p>
<p>It’s not that I cover my windows with Aluminum foil ;)</p>
<p>Big colleges-probably not</p>
<p>Boutique Liberal Arts Colleges who to try and craft the freshman class composition like a multi ingredient stew- don’t be so sure.</p>
<p>This topic is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Mollymauk wrote: “Boutique Liberal Arts Colleges who to try and craft the freshman class composition like a multi ingredient stew- don’t be so sure.”</p>
<p>My reply?</p>
<p>Top tier schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Amherst, etc. : too many apps, excellent yield. Why bother? Their formulae have worked fine for them thus far…</p>
<p>Next tier schools: still lots of apps, need to admit more because their yield is lessor due to loss of cross-admits to the so-called “top tier” schools. If anything, they’re a bit more careless than the ultra cherry-picking by the top tier schools.</p>
<p>Who’s left now? And what purpose would it serve? How would data mining places like CC or FB give ANY college useful information in determining admissions? </p>
<p>If you were hiring someone to fill a $100K position, sure. Google the heck out of your final candidates. But that’s three people.</p>
<p>i remember a guy who got accepted to stanford had a PS on his stanford acceptance letter that referenced something he posted on CC. i think some colleges do, but i think it would make more sense if it was around decision time…like, april?</p>
<p>^HAHA, holy crap…seriously? freaky :|</p>
<p>
College representatives do not have access to IP data here on College Confidential. The only information to which they have access is that information which you personally release via your posts or your private message communications.</p>
<p>^^yeah definately. but i cant find the post anymore :(</p>
<p>Does that mean that it would be a bad thing to post your stats? Really, why would colleges matter what you say, as long as you’re not demeaning their college or anything else.</p>
<p>It’s not a bad thing. Unless you are clueless about the college and have not read the admissions profile, I think it is a useless thing.
“No you do not have a chance unless you take the SAT again and bring the 790M up to a 800” . " You will not get in with a 3.87UW. Do not apply ED"</p>
<p>“Chance Me” posts are like inviting someone to check out your junk in the gym shower. Some things are best kept private.</p>
<p>^^^^ Best post of the day.</p>
<p>ok, no one really knows the answer? it makes the most sense for them not to, but then there is supposedly that guy from stanford. unless that was a joke that i have failed to recognize the humor in. :P</p>
<p>College admissions officers certainly do read these forums, but those with whom I am acquainted do not actively try to match applicants to their CC post histories.</p>
<p>ok, then i guess i won’t address this in my article. thanks!</p>