As the University of Miami’s impact on social media only continues to rise, social media is quickly becoming more of a factor in college admissions.
A handful of students came to the University already social media stars, and once they arrived began posting beautiful views of campus, discussing the nightlife and others causing political controversy.
But did UM know about these students’ platforms before they were admitted?
For the fall 2026 cycle, UM received 54,218 applications. While most college admissions officers rarely have time to review every applicant’s social media presence, they will do so if prompted — which could happen through third-party disclosure, the press or publicly-available information.
“The University of Miami does not routinely search or review applicants’ social media accounts as part of the undergraduate admissions process,” the University of Miami Admissions said in a statement to The Hurricane. “In rare instances, when specific information relevant to an applicant’s admissions record is brought to the University’s attention, admissions staff may review publicly available information to better understand the matter.”
According to Kaplan’s 2023 college admissions survey, 28% of officers say they have checked applicants’ social media, and 67% say it is “fair game” for an applicant’s social media to be reviewed during the admissions process.
UM has been coined as an “Influencer School” by publications like The Washington Post. The University of Miami Admissions states that students may include social media platforms and influencer status as part of their extracurriculars, and many applicants have done so.
An educational consultant who specializes in crisis management, Hanna Scotland has encountered many instances of students’ social media being brought to light again, sometimes for the worse, such as through another peer “snitching.”
“There’s always been people tattling on each other, rightly and wrongly. That’s not new,” Scotland said. “But this generation has kind of perfected it and I have seen it in my practice going back a long way.”
Scotland explains that colleges are sometimes notified to conduct a social media search because another individual has disclosed something to them.
“2020 is the year that it completely took off. Everybody was in their parents basement with nothing to do. Three years ago, you said something offensive in the group chat and I’m going to tweet it at your college,” Scotland said. “Don’t assume that things are private because there’s a small group and these are people that you trust. That is a good thing to keep in mind whether you are doing something wrong or not.”
The best practice to follow, according to Scotland, is not to post on social media, or even send to small groups, anything you’re not okay with being on the cover of a major publication.
She states that many times, when an officer is prompted to look more into a student, they may search the applicant’s name online to see what comes up. Usually, an individual’s LinkedIn and Instagram profiles appear, along with any press they may be in.
UM shared a similar sentiment, stating that any publicly available information may be searched by admissions officers.
One notable case that Scotland wrote about in Slate Magazine was the Kyle Kashuv case. He was admitted to Harvard University in 2019, but his acceptance was later revoked when racist comments he had made in a shared document and in text messages two years prior resurfaced.
“Some punishments are appropriate, fair, proportional, well considered,” Scotland said. “In his case, he’s using the N-word. There’s not a close call as to whether that’s wrong.”
In other cases Scotland has seen, the social media platform will automatically flag something as inappropriate or unsafe.
Snapchat, for example, is a major social media platform that many teenagers use to send and take pictures and videos. Scotland reflects on a time when one of her clients, a 15-year-old girl, was chatting with some of her close friends about a potential snow day at their high school. The girl had said that there better be a snow day or else she would “shoot up” the school.
Scotland says the student meant it as a joke to her friends; however, she didn’t know that Snapchat automatically monitors what its users say and do on the app. Consequently, Snapchat notified law enforcement. The girl ended up going to school the next day, where there was a lockdown and she was marched out by law enforcement.
Scotland explains that it can be very subjective whether one person considers a post or comment just immature, while another may see it as a reflection of the applicant’s character.
“Of course there’s levels of severity, whether someone is just sharing the fact that they drank a beer underage versus something like using the N-word, which, for many readers, we’re going to say that goes to your character,” Scotland said.
Scotland says that colleges, especially more selective ones, are looking for well-rounded students who are ready for college and who know how to act right before they step on campus.
“Admission is selective and offered to those applicants whose credentials are academically sound and whose interests, aptitudes, and preparation reflect a well-rounded secondary school experience, inside and outside the classroom,” The University of Miami Admissions website states.
A 2019 study conducted by Kaplan found that “Of the admissions officers who checked applicants’ social media profiles, 38% said what they found had a positive impact on their decision to admit students, while 32% said it had a negative impact.”
Many students post things without thinking much about it and don’t expect it to become part of their college admissions. However, students must remember that anything they do online may be uncovered or traced back during their college admissions process.