A note from the wise: If you're applying to college, make sure your social media profiles are squeaky-clean.

In previous years, college applicants didn't realize that their social media pages were fair game to college admissions officials. Everything they posted, including provocative photos and posts, was sometimes a factor in whether or not they got accepted into certain schools. However, a new report shows that applicants are finally understanding this.

According to the report from Kaplan Test Prep, fewer admissions officers are finding material on social media that could hurt an applicant's chances of getting into college (via New York Times). In 2012, 35 percent of admissions officials who visited applicants' pages saw derailing information. This year, that number was only 16 percent.

Kaplan's vice president for college admissions told the Times, "Students are more aware that any impression they leave on social media is leaving a digital fingerprint. My hunch is that students are not publicly chronicling their lives through social media in the same way.”

Hopefully, these college applicants will continue this habit when they graduate from college as many employers also look at college graduates' social media profiles during the hiring process. For those who need help deleting incriminating posts, Social Sweepster is a relatively new service that can get the job done.