This fall, some seniors have changed their names on their Facebook profiles to avoid unwanted attention from colleges who search the Internet for their applicants. According to a survey of admissions officers through Kaplan, 80 percent of colleges use Facebook to investigate or connect with prospective students.

Not entirely comfortable with this, senior Chris Hayman changed his Facebook name. “I am looking to play college baseball, and I would rather not have the coaches whose schools I want to play at see pictures of me they would not agree with, even though I don’t have any bad pictures on Facebook. It’s just a weird concept for me, I guess,” he said. “But they will probably find me anyway if they wanted to.”

Senior Fiona Pettigrew changed her name just to be safe. “I personally don’t have any incriminating photos on Facebook, but I did it just in case,” she said.

College advisers, however, tend to recommend that students make their online presences presentable rather than hiding them from potential observers.