Can colleges actually tell if you use AI on your essays?
I keep hearing that admissions officers are using tools to figure out if someone used ChatGPT or other AI for their college essays. Is this really something they do or is it just a rumor? It makes me a bit nervous because I definitely use Grammarly and sometimes get suggestions from AI, but I always rewrite everything on my own.
Has anyone actually heard of someone getting caught, or do colleges even bother checking for AI writing in the first place? Just trying to know how strict I need to be about this stuff. I want my application to be authentic and not get flagged for something by accident.
Has anyone actually heard of someone getting caught, or do colleges even bother checking for AI writing in the first place? Just trying to know how strict I need to be about this stuff. I want my application to be authentic and not get flagged for something by accident.
4 months ago
•
41 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
Colleges are aware that students may use AI-powered tools like Grammarly, ChatGPT, or QuillBot, but the actual practice of detecting or policing AI use in application essays is much more nuanced than the rumors make it sound.
Most admissions offices don't have a formal system in place for scanning every essay for AI use. Some have experimented with plagiarism detectors or AI-detection software, but so far, these tools are far from perfect. AI detectors can mislabel well-written or formulaic writing as AI-generated, and they struggle even more with text that has been significantly edited by a human. If you use an AI tool for minor suggestions, grammar help, or brainstorming, and then thoughtfully revise it in your own voice, you’re extremely unlikely to be flagged or penalized.
Almost all colleges care much more about authenticity and your personal story than running a high-tech detective operation. They want to see essays that sound like a real student wrote them. For example, using Grammarly for grammar fixes or even using AI for brainstorming ideas doesn’t set off alarm bells, unless the final product feels generic, impersonal, or clearly out-of-step with the rest of your application (like your grades, test scores, or teacher recommendations). One potential red flag would be submitting an essay with language or ideas totally different from your other materials, or essays that sound robotic or overly polished.
There are no widely publicized cases of students being outright rejected for incidental AI use in college essays (like using Grammarly or editing suggestions). The real concern is with students submitting essays that they didn't write or heavily relying on AI, which can make their work sound generic or impersonal.
If your process involves using AI tools for light suggestions and then personalizing and rewriting the essay yourself, you’re doing exactly what admissions committees expect: putting in your own work and voice. Focus on making your essays as authentic as possible, and you’ll be in good shape.
Most admissions offices don't have a formal system in place for scanning every essay for AI use. Some have experimented with plagiarism detectors or AI-detection software, but so far, these tools are far from perfect. AI detectors can mislabel well-written or formulaic writing as AI-generated, and they struggle even more with text that has been significantly edited by a human. If you use an AI tool for minor suggestions, grammar help, or brainstorming, and then thoughtfully revise it in your own voice, you’re extremely unlikely to be flagged or penalized.
Almost all colleges care much more about authenticity and your personal story than running a high-tech detective operation. They want to see essays that sound like a real student wrote them. For example, using Grammarly for grammar fixes or even using AI for brainstorming ideas doesn’t set off alarm bells, unless the final product feels generic, impersonal, or clearly out-of-step with the rest of your application (like your grades, test scores, or teacher recommendations). One potential red flag would be submitting an essay with language or ideas totally different from your other materials, or essays that sound robotic or overly polished.
There are no widely publicized cases of students being outright rejected for incidental AI use in college essays (like using Grammarly or editing suggestions). The real concern is with students submitting essays that they didn't write or heavily relying on AI, which can make their work sound generic or impersonal.
If your process involves using AI tools for light suggestions and then personalizing and rewriting the essay yourself, you’re doing exactly what admissions committees expect: putting in your own work and voice. Focus on making your essays as authentic as possible, and you’ll be in good shape.
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Camille Luong
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Stanford University, BAH in Urban Studies
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5 years
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