Is it okay to use Grammarly when writing college essays?
I've been working on my college essays and wanted to make sure I'm presenting my best work. I've always used Grammarly to help me catch grammar mistakes and awkward sentences in English class. Is it considered acceptable to use tools like Grammarly for college application essays, or do admissions officers see that as getting outside help that's not allowed?
I'm not sure where the line is between proofreading and getting too much assistance. Has anyone else used Grammarly or something similar, and did you feel like it helped or hurt your application in any way? I don't want to get in trouble, but I also want my essays to sound polished.
I'm not sure where the line is between proofreading and getting too much assistance. Has anyone else used Grammarly or something similar, and did you feel like it helped or hurt your application in any way? I don't want to get in trouble, but I also want my essays to sound polished.
1 week ago
•
14 views
Anne George
• 1 week ago
Advisor
Using Grammarly to check your college essays is generally considered totally acceptable. Grammarly is a proofreading tool that helps catch typos, grammar issues, and some awkward phrasing. This kind of basic support is the same as using your word processor’s spellcheck or letting a trusted adult or teacher look over your essay for technical mistakes—it doesn’t cross any ethical lines or violate application policies.
Admissions officers expect that students will revise their essays and use resources to put their best work forward. The important distinction is between tools that flag mistakes and outright rewriting or ghostwriting. Grammarly doesn’t create content from scratch or insert ideas that aren’t yours, so you’re in the clear. Just be sure that the essay’s voice, ideas, and structure are still 100% your own. Over-relying on suggestions that make your writing sound robotic or less personal is what can hurt your application, since authenticity is key.
Here's a quick tip: Grammarly’s AI can sometimes over-polish or suggest vocabulary that sounds out of place for a high school student. Feel free to ignore changes that don’t feel like you. After running your essay through Grammarly, read it out loud to check if it still sounds like something you’d actually say. When in doubt, stick with your authentic voice over perfect grammar—admissions officers care much more about the real you than about flawless, generic prose.
In summary: it's fine to use Grammarly for spelling and grammar, but let your true personality shine through, and don’t let any program overshadow your story.
Admissions officers expect that students will revise their essays and use resources to put their best work forward. The important distinction is between tools that flag mistakes and outright rewriting or ghostwriting. Grammarly doesn’t create content from scratch or insert ideas that aren’t yours, so you’re in the clear. Just be sure that the essay’s voice, ideas, and structure are still 100% your own. Over-relying on suggestions that make your writing sound robotic or less personal is what can hurt your application, since authenticity is key.
Here's a quick tip: Grammarly’s AI can sometimes over-polish or suggest vocabulary that sounds out of place for a high school student. Feel free to ignore changes that don’t feel like you. After running your essay through Grammarly, read it out loud to check if it still sounds like something you’d actually say. When in doubt, stick with your authentic voice over perfect grammar—admissions officers care much more about the real you than about flawless, generic prose.
In summary: it's fine to use Grammarly for spelling and grammar, but let your true personality shine through, and don’t let any program overshadow your story.
Anne George
New Haven, CT
Dartmouth College (B.A. in Neuroscience and Anthropology), Yale University (Ph.D. in Neuroscience)
Experience
5 years