MORE ADMISSIONS OFFICERS CHECKING APPLICANTS’ SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES (College & Career Press, LLC) If you’re heading to college, what you post on social media matters. Forty percent of college admissions officers (CAOs) visited an applicant’s social media pages in 2015, according to Kaplan Test Prep’s survey of nearly 400 CAOs at top colleges and universities in the United States. This is the highest percentage reported since Kaplan began surveying college admissions officers in 2008, when just under 10 percent reported viewing applicants’ social media sites. Thirty-seven percent of admissions officers who visited applicants’ sites said that what they found positively or negatively impacted applicants’ chances of being accepted to college. Admissions officers identified the following “trigger points”—events, information, or activities—that would prompt them to view an applicant’s social media sites: A Specific Talent: If an applicant mentions a special talent—such as being an artist, musician, writer, or poet—the CAO will visit his or her social media pages to view their work. Forty-two percent of admissions officers surveyed by Kaplan Test Prep reported an increase in the number of students who made such requests from two years ago. Verification of Awards. If an applicant mentions that he or she received a very prestigious award, the CAO will visit their websites, or independent sites, to verify this claim. Scholarships. If an applicant is applying for scholarships— especially large ones—the CAO will visit his or her websites, or contact their school or check with other sources, to perform extra due diligence. Admissions Sabotage. Surprisingly, some admissions officers receive anonymous tips about bad behavior or inappropriate posts of applicants. Criminal Records/Disciplinary Action. Some CAOs say that if the applicant mentions either of these issues, he or she will dig further on the applicant’s social media pages, through independent media sources, and police and school district reports to get the full story. In a separate survey, 35 percent of students believe that positive information on their social media pages will increase their chances of getting into college. While most students are indifferent to the role of social media in the admissions process, approximately 18 percent plan to use social media to increase their chances of admission. Overall, 58 percent of students surveyed by Kaplan Test Prep believe that social networking pages are “fair game” for college admissions officers. FASTEST-GROWING CAREER FIELDS, 2014- 2024 Health Care Support Occupations: +23 percent Health Care Practitioners and Technical Occupations: +16.4 percent Personal Care and Service Occupations: +13.2 percent Computer and Mathematical Occupations: +13.1 percent
Community and Social Service Occupations: +10.5 percent Construction and Extraction Occupations: +10.1 percent Business and Financial Operations Occupations: +8.4 percent Education, Training, and Library Occupations: +7.6 percent (Note: The average growth for all industries is 6.5 percent.) FASTEST-GROWING INDUSTRY SECTORS, 2014- 2024 Home Health Care Services: +48 percent Outpatient Care Centers: +41 percent Offices of Health Practitioners: +38 percent Other Ambulatory Services: +34 percent Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories: +28 percent Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services: +24 percent Software Publishers: +23 percent Facilities Support Services: +22 percent Computer Systems Design and Related Services: +21 percent Nursing and Residential Care Facilities: +21 percent Source: U.S. Department of Labor
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