How did they respond?

Oftentimes a Facebook Friend request from a prospect is just a natural extension of the high quality and personalized attention that many admissions counselors give to prospective students. The point is to connect with a prospect and help them along in the application process; reassuring them during times of self-doubt and giving them one person to connect with as they pursue a new experience on a new campus. Those are all natural tendencies and outcomes of such an interaction. It should not surprise the counselors - especially if they have a master's degree in counseling or extensive work experience - of such a student response. It is almost flattering...and you always have the option to deny the Facebook Friend request.

While I'm usually flattered when a student tries to "friend" me, I explain to them that my facebook account is really for my personal use and that while I really do care about them, I don't "friend" students. They are generally fine with sending me e-mails and other things to let me know how they are doing if they choose. As for an edge in admissions, most offices have a system that allows for an applicant's file to be reviewed by a different person if there is a perception of conflict of interest. Whether or not that's followed in every admissions office, that's another story.