<p>I have a problem in that regard. I have not posted anything bad online but if you type my full name, it brings out the article I did with a local newspaper. The problem is that In that article I said I wanted to go to Stanford, so if the Columbia adcoms will dig that up, will it affect my chances?</p>
<p>I always hear stories about "powerful" adcoms that can check just about anything, but if its not too obvious that you upto something wrong, do they check the internet on every single applicants name?</p>
<p>I dont think the newspaper will remove it. I dont think they should either.</p>
<p>I dont know what to believe. Some people think adcoms have access to just about anything you post online, but then, you see so many people applying and think how is it possible for them to check them all. Its really unbelievable.</p>
<p>Does anyone else have a similar experience?</p>
<p>
[quote]
I always hear stories about "powerful" adcoms that can check just about anything, but if its not too obvious that you upto something wrong, do they check the internet on every single applicants name?
<p>i could only imagine that they have some program that does all the web crawling for them and churns out a few links for them to click when they are reviewing the files. Thankfully, it's pretty hard to get google to find stuff about me because i share the name of an "internet celebrity". He's actually a fear mongering radio host, but he covers my tracks... :)</p>
<p>you know what I mean Columbia2002. When people talk about how adcoms search people, by their names,IP Adresses, internet posts, hints... etc. Or how you see people on the news getting in trouble for having party pictures online and things like that.</p>
<p>I know putting provocative pictures on the web is a little dangerous and adcoms might get to it, but what about searching for names or internet posts? I recently heard something about detecting ones IP address. do you think it does not happen? I think it very well does. I'm not close to adcoms or any of their internal processes and I might be wrong.</p>
<p>If you ask, the newspaper might remove the article from their site. This will not remove the text from all the internet sites to which it has profilerated. Always consider anything you put on the internet to be there forever and available to goverment and institutional authorities. It is @#%$ing @!&^ physically, technically and intellectually impossible to completely remove all copies of an internet communication.</p>
<p>That being said, it is unlikely the article has been checked by any admissions committee unless you referenced it in your application. The admissions committees also know that many young adults frequently change their minds about the objects of their affection, whether it be a college or a person.</p>
<p>columbia admissions officers actually hire minions to do hours of background research on every applicant, they sometime fly people over to your neighborhood, and eavesdrop on your conversations with friends to make sure that columbia is actually your first choice. The importance placed on yield protection can't be underestimated.</p>
<p>"columbia admissions officers actually hire minions to do hours of background research on every applicant, they sometime fly people over to your neighborhood, and eavesdrop on your conversations with friends to make sure that columbia is actually your first choice. The importance placed on yield protection can't be underestimated."</p>
<p>^^Stanford: don't listen to him, he's jetlagged and crazy after flying halfway across the world for close to 15 hours. He also thinks people are following him all the time. :D</p>
<p>Honestly, though: don't worry about it. The Columbia adcom can't honestly expect you to eat, breathe and sleep Columbia. It's bloody competitive. Stanford is bloody competitive. So what if your first choice was stanford? Columbia's not going to act like a rejected girl and stop talking to you. People are going to say things to scare you. </p>
<p>What's important is that you use that 'why columbia' space to convince them you want to go there. Forget the google search: it may or may not happen, given that they receive something like 20000 applicants each year.</p>
<p>A senior once told me that colleges tend to Google their applicants names. That is just about as far as they go. Don't worry, it is not like they are trying to find a fault with you :)</p>
<p>Just a note though, the senior isn't from Columbia, but a very reputed University nonetheless. I wish to preserve his/her privacy. It shouldn't be any different.</p>
<p>" senior once told me that colleges tend to Google their applicants names. That is just about as far as they go. Don't worry, it is not like they are trying to find a fault with you "</p>
<p>well, yeah, if they find you were DUI or something, that might be an issue. They google sometimes, not all the time.</p>
<p>you mean they google the name of the applicant? hmm. I bet they at least have some software they use. Just imagining ad. officers sitting at the computer and typing your name in GOOGLE :-)</p>
<p>if they do find the most recent newspaper article about me, then they'll find that i wore my columbia shirt to the photo shoot. yay for clairvoyance.</p>
<p>Seriously stanford09, they have a WHOLE institution to run, did you honestly think they would hire ninjas after you? :) Unless you plan to destroy Columbia, then that is a different matter. [We won't let you]</p>
<p>Oh the senior I was talking about, he/she was PART of the admission committee. I guess that gives you a lead as to which Uni. he/she is from ;)</p>
<p>before i go off on my tangent i just want to say that of all the things someone can find about you online saying you want to go to stanford in some newspaper article is the least you have to worry about. </p>
<p>stanford09's general fears though are not unfounded. I'm applying to med school now and this topic comes up then too. Even the pre-med adviser told us to clean up our facebook pages and google ourselves to see what comes up. However - and this is important - the process for both are very different...they spend way more time per applicant and you must be interviewed to get in so it's more likely that someone along the way will check you out online or might even know someone you're facebook friends with and be able to check out your profile. for college admissions i find it MUCH less likely that anyone along the way will bother checking you out online because they spend very little time on each applicant and you can get in without an interview. This is also not done routinely in any kind of admissions process and the only time i can see it done is if the person reviewing your app has a propensity to google people or your interviewer checks you out online before/after the interview. </p>
<p>That being said, unless you are applying for a CIA job or something of the sort noone will ever go beyond googling your name or facebooking you....all this nonsense about IP addresses is just paranoia.</p>
<p>well, if is it really true that adcoms only take 4-5 minutes to review each applicant and they dont have time for google, then how can they even read the essay or other short responses? They probably just skim though... Is not that terrible?</p>
<p>"They probably just skim though... Is not that terrible?"</p>
<p>there are several rounds, I'd imagine as the pool narrows with the number of apps that are tossed, I'd assume they'd pay more attention to your essays.</p>