Online Surveillance in College Admission Process

While most high school students maintain an active online presence, they often have no idea that colleges are monitoring their actions and “scoring” them accordingly.  

The Washington Post reported that admissions officers at the University of Wisconsin installed tracking software on their school website that indicated when a student visited their site, which pages were viewed, and how long the student spent on each page.  Additional information profiling the student was provided, and the student was assigned an “affinity index” estimating his/her likelihood of attending the school, if accepted.

University of Wisconsin is not alone.  According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, “enrollment officers at Seton Hall University, Quinnipiac University, and Dickinson College know down to the second when prospective students opened an email from the school, how long they spent reading it and whether they clicked through to any links.”

An official at Seton Hall acknowledged that the school assigns students a score that reflects their demonstrated interest based on 80 variables including whether they open emails from the university, how long they spend on the school’s website, and how early in their high school years they started engaging with the university. Students typically have no idea that they are being tracked.

One of the largest providers of software that tracks data on prospective students is Technolutions Inc.  Its software, Slate, generates a dashboard summarizing thousands of data points on students and is reportedly used by 850 colleges and universities.

Schools use this information to assess demonstrated interest. While many colleges are enjoying a rising number of applicants, they are fighting to maintain or improve their “yield” – the percent of accepted applicants who actually enroll. Tracking students’ online engagement provides solid clues as to which colleges are most attractive to potential applicants.  

The National Association of College Admission Counseling surveyed some 500 schools and found that demonstrated interest is indeed important to them – on par with teacher recommendation letters and class rank – but carry less weight than a student’s grades and SAT scores.

The takeaway point for high school students is that they should research potential good-fit colleges early on, engage with them regularly, and always respond promptly to any contact initiated by a college.  In short, students should assume that their online activity is indeed being tracked.  By putting in the time and effort to demonstrate real interest in their colleges of choice, they will improve their “affinity index” and better their chance of ultimately getting a “you’re accepted” letter or email!

Susan Alaimo is the founder of Collegebound Review. For the past 25 years, Collegebound Review's Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT®, SAT®, ACT®, Subject Tests®, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362