Three-quarters of colleges today will either monitor social media as part of their admissions decision making or will review social media brought to their attention to validate applicant character, credibility, and creativity. Also, as big data algorithms and predictive analytics are now driving college admissions and merit aid decisions, online presence and engagement seem destined to be—along with grades, essays, and SAT scores—a salient part of the admissions checklist.

We are proud to have Alan Katzman, the founder of Social Assurity and a leading expert on social media's role in college admissions, discuss these developments.