Is it okay to use AI tools to help write my college essays?

It's completely understandable to feel overwhelmed by the essay process and want to use all the resources available. Colleges want to see your authentic voice and personal story, so the key is making sure the final essay truly reflects who you are, not just what a tool suggests.

Using AI for brainstorming, getting unstuck, or improving the clarity of your writing (like suggesting structure or rephrasing awkward sentences) is generally considered acceptable. Many students use tools—whether that's AI, grammar checkers, or thesauruses—to help polish their work, as long as the ideas and content are genuinely their own.

What crosses the line is submitting writing that was mostly or entirely generated by an AI, or relying on suggestions so heavily that your own style and story are lost. Admissions officers can usually tell when an essay doesn’t sound like a seventeen-year-old wrote it, or if it’s too generic. For example, if you prompt an AI to "write me a college essay about leadership," and submit its answer with only minor tweaks, that's risky and likely violates most colleges' honesty policies.

A responsible approach is using AI to help brainstorm ideas, generate outlines, or ask for feedback on flow and clarity. For instance, you might tell the tool, “I want to write about the time I started a recycling program at school. What are some angles I could take?” Then, use your own stories, voice, and specific details as you write. After you draft, you could use an AI to identify sentences that are unclear or to spot repetitive words, much like having a virtual proofreader. But always make sure the ideas and original writing come from you.

As an example, one student shared that she used an AI tool to help organize her thoughts after jotting down three potential essay topics. She asked for suggestions on how to structure the essay, then closed the AI tab and wrote her drafts by herself. Later, she used the tool to spot grammar errors and redundancies, but she kept the content entirely her own. Her application was successful, and she felt confident her essay was authentic.

If you use AI, focus on the process rather than the product: use it as a brainstorming buddy, not a ghostwriter. Ultimately, your story and your voice are what matter in a college essay, and those can't be automated. Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask for human feedback along the way, too!