That's why it's called social networking

A lot of teenagers are good at internet stuff and like to use that to their advantage, so it's no surprise that social networking sites have become the most exploited weapons in the arsenals of some.

The education company Kaplan recently conducted a survey that revealed 70 percent of college admissions officers in the U.S. have received messages to become friends with prospective students on Facebook and MySpace.

'Social networking has blurred previously-held boundaries, especially among those who have grown with these outlets,' said Kaplan's Jeff Olson. 'We understand that college applicants these days are seeking any competitive edge they can, so may think 'friending' college admissions officers on Facebook will help them. But students need to be smart about how they use social networking sites.'

Olson says that although many of these officers get the messages, they rarely go and explore the profiles. Moreover, depending on what's on those profiles (ahem, seedy pictures), sometimes these few visits don't work to the advantage of the college-bound.

On the other hand, some schools see the trend as a good thing. Hofstra actually goes out and invites interested students to send the university's officers a friend request.