Do colleges ever attempt to look at an applicants social media presence, and how much would it factor into decision-making?
My understanding is that they don’t have time for that, but is it a good idea to have your profile pic showing you with a big red Solo cup in hand? Probably not. there have defintitly been reports of adcoms checking social media, so best to play it safe and remove anything dubious. And if yiur app has anything remotely eyebrow raising or causes them to be skeptical, they will be more likely to check social media. You should carefully consider what you are putting on your app, becasue you never want to give them a reason to doubt you. They can spot “off” apps a mile away.
I have heard anecdotally that at some schools, they may, but I find it hard to imagine they have the time. Agree though that your online presence shouldn’t include anything you wouldn’t want being totally public. You can also adjust your privacy settings.
A good rule of thumb is to not post anything that you don’t want an admissions counselor or possible employer to see.
They don’t have time to check everyone but who knows whether something in an application might inspire an admissions person to take a quick peek?