<p>The conclusion seems to be that it would be common human nature for an admissions staffer to google a finalist if something doesn’t smell right or seems too good to be true. </p>
<p>I just remember a story of a friend of mine who was an active volunteer at a very large high school. He was at graduation and they announced the awards. The award for his program went to a student that he and other volunteers had never heard of. The guy wrote a BS essay and fooled the school administration. After that, the administration agreed to let the volunteers see the applications before the award was made. </p>
<p>In any case, there is a big difference between a student who lies about their credentials vs. a normal fun-loving student who doesn’t put enough care into their privacy settings.</p>