<p>So here's my question: do admissions officers ever Google an applicant (at least if they have a fairly uncommon name) to find out more about them?</p>
<p>To be more specific, I have quite a few awards and things that are relatively small (high placings at XC meets or track meets primarily). These aren't state or national level awards, but they still show consistent good performance and a dedication to the sport. Unfortunately, there is nowhere near enough room to put all these on the app, but they are available online and come up if you google my name. So if admissions officers googled me and found these extra awards and things, would they take this into account in my benefit, even if those awards weren't on the app? Or are the restricted to using things explicitly on the app?</p>
<p>hmm...so I guess that's a no to the googling? I know its sounds silly but I've heard of it happening, and seeing as it only takes 5 seconds to enter someone's name into google...I'm just wondering if this could have any impact on my app</p>
<p>I can imagine that some adcoms might Google an applicant, though I would bet money that no adcom has time to Google all applicants.</p>
<p>I have Googled some applicants whom I have been assigned to do alum interviews with.</p>
<p>I have heard that in NYC, it's normal for people to Google blind dates and new acquaintances. I've also heard about freshmen Googling their newly assigned college roommates.</p>
<p>All are things to keep in mind when being on-line.</p>
<p>When I taught college, a prospective employer of one of my students Googled the student and found that the student had a porn web site. The student did not get the intership the employer was offering.</p>
<p>i hope not... if my name is googled, the first few pages of the results don't have any info on me. there's one guy who died in august, an NY marathon guy, a harvard law student, a photographer and a regular contributor to a comic magazine! i guess my name is too common :(</p>
<p>so regarding my original post, if on the off chance an adcom did google me and saw my additional awards, would they take these into account even if they didn't fit on the app? thx (by the way this is mainly a curiosity question, I'm not that insane)</p>
<p>With the amount of applicants they get...I'd doubt it. I mean, there's a possibility that there would be many other people on Google with the same name as an applicant. That would mean having to refine their search...and sift through results, and make sure they've found the right person...that'd take a while.</p>
<p>It's very easy to Google and find students who are applying to elite colleges. </p>
<p>All one has to do is Google the student's name and their high school or home town. Typically, students applying to elite colleges have done something that either is listed on their school's website, listed on a site having to do with honors, awards or a sports team, or has been mentioned in the newspaper. Many also have their own web pages.</p>
<p>It's harder to find students who aren't applying to elite colleges because they aren't as likely to have done something noteable that ends up on the web. However, some such students will show up in a web search.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses, but, once again back to my original question- we seem to agree that googling is my no means out of the question for distinguished students with uncommon names at elite schools (I think I would qualify as I'm applying to HYPS and a google produces about 2 pages of stuff just about me, right up front). So if adcoms saw this, would they use it in consideration of my application even if some of those awards weren't listed on my app, but they were online?</p>
<p>Not sure about adcoms googling applicants, but out of sheer curiosity I googled an adcom last year and came up with some pretty interesting (and telling) stuff.... ~berurah</p>
<p>edited to add--And the funny thing was that people thought it took me HOURS to find what I did when in reality it took me about 10 seconds! lol</p>
<p>Believe it or not, there was already another thread on this.</p>
<p>If you list an EC or accomplishment that is really unique or cool (like a website you created or a business you run) then I think that an adcom may be likely to google you. But if you are just another really well-qualified applicant with no stand-out activities or anything on your app then they won't spend the time googling you. Because there are thousands of other people just like you and that would just take too much time.</p>
<p>Man, if adcoms googled names I could make a site about myself... get Google to put it at the top of the list... and list all kinds of awesome things about myself.</p>