Before high school graduates have a chance to hit the books in college, many must overcome another sort of book: Facebook. About 25 percent of college admissions officers say they look up prospective applicants through Facebook and/or Google. If they don’t like what they see—loads of pictures of the applicants drinking or misbehaving, for instance, it could hurt their chances of admission. Because these searches are becoming increasingly common, many prospective freshmen are trying to evade admission departments’ prying eyes—locking down their pages, untagging incriminating photos or going by aliases. “There’s a pretty big party scene [at Hastings High School in New York],” says Hastings senior Sam Bogan, who’s known as “Samwise Gams” online to outwit college admissions departments. “When the college search process comes around, people start changing their Facebook name or untagging old photos they don’t want anyone to see. It’s kind of a ritual.” Colleges also are using Facebook for more than tracking applicants. They’re also using the site to recruit or communicate with prospective students. Some colleges have apps that allow applicants to check whether they’ve been accepted. Others invite applicants to upload YouTube videos to supplement their formal applications. Many schools find they need to stay up to speed with social media advances in order to attract top-notch students. “In today’s communications environment, it’s not a ticket to win,” says Perry Hewitt chief digital officer for Harvard University. “It’s a ticket to play.” About 90 percent of admissions officers say their involvement in social media outlets has been beneficial, and 86 percent say they’re planning on upping their investment in that world next year. (Time, Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com, and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book, God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.