Do colleges actually use AI detectors on application essays?
I've been seeing a lot of posts online about ChatGPT and AI writing tools being used for college essays, and it has me a little bit worried. Are admissions offices using software to check if your essay was written by AI, like with Turnitin or some specialized detector?
For my application, I wrote everything myself, but I did use tools like Grammarly to fix some grammar and typos. Now I'm overthinking whether even this could be considered AI help. I just want to know how deeply schools really check for this stuff and if anyone's had experience or heard of people getting flagged for their writing style being 'too' polished or something. Information about how this is done at big state schools vs. Ivies would be really appreciated!
I just want to make sure I don't accidentally mess anything up.
For my application, I wrote everything myself, but I did use tools like Grammarly to fix some grammar and typos. Now I'm overthinking whether even this could be considered AI help. I just want to know how deeply schools really check for this stuff and if anyone's had experience or heard of people getting flagged for their writing style being 'too' polished or something. Information about how this is done at big state schools vs. Ivies would be really appreciated!
I just want to make sure I don't accidentally mess anything up.
1 week ago
•
15 views
Kathy Jayanth
• 1 week ago
Advisor
There's a lot of buzz about AI detection with college essays lately, and it's understandable to be concerned, especially with all the talk about ChatGPT and other tools. Right now, most admissions offices are not systematically running every essay through dedicated AI detectors in the same way plagiarism is checked with software like Turnitin. Some colleges have experimented with AI detection tools, but these tools are not nearly as accurate as plagiarism checkers, and false positives are a known issue. Additionally, there hasn’t been widespread reporting of students getting flagged just because their essays sound polished or because they've used writing aids like Grammarly.
For your situation—using Grammarly to correct grammar and typos—this is absolutely fine and very common. Admissions offices expect you to proofread and revise your essays; in fact, many students use teachers, counselors, and online tools to help catch basic errors. Grammarly simply improves clarity and correctness, similar to having an adult read over your essay for minor mistakes. This won't flag your essay as AI-written.
When it comes to detecting fully AI-generated content, admissions officers are more likely to notice writing that feels impersonal, overly generic, or doesn’t match the rest of your application materials (like your activities or other short responses). If your essay is authentic and reflects your own experiences, voice, and personality, you don’t need to worry. For example, if you wrote about a personal experience volunteering at a local shelter and expressed how it changed your perspective, that kind of detail and specificity is difficult for AI to fabricate convincingly—and admissions readers know that.
There isn't a big difference between large state schools and Ivies in terms of using these detectors yet, though elite schools do tend to scrutinize applications more carefully due to the volume and competitiveness. However, both types are generally focused on originality and authenticity, not policing minor grammar help. If you're still in doubt, you can always mention in the writing section that you used basic grammar tools, but it’s not necessary.
Keep focusing on sharing your genuine story. Unless you fed your whole essay into an AI and copied the result word for word (which you didn't), you don’t have to worry. Admissions offices want a true sense of who you are, and using tools like Grammarly is standard practice. You're in the clear.
For your situation—using Grammarly to correct grammar and typos—this is absolutely fine and very common. Admissions offices expect you to proofread and revise your essays; in fact, many students use teachers, counselors, and online tools to help catch basic errors. Grammarly simply improves clarity and correctness, similar to having an adult read over your essay for minor mistakes. This won't flag your essay as AI-written.
When it comes to detecting fully AI-generated content, admissions officers are more likely to notice writing that feels impersonal, overly generic, or doesn’t match the rest of your application materials (like your activities or other short responses). If your essay is authentic and reflects your own experiences, voice, and personality, you don’t need to worry. For example, if you wrote about a personal experience volunteering at a local shelter and expressed how it changed your perspective, that kind of detail and specificity is difficult for AI to fabricate convincingly—and admissions readers know that.
There isn't a big difference between large state schools and Ivies in terms of using these detectors yet, though elite schools do tend to scrutinize applications more carefully due to the volume and competitiveness. However, both types are generally focused on originality and authenticity, not policing minor grammar help. If you're still in doubt, you can always mention in the writing section that you used basic grammar tools, but it’s not necessary.
Keep focusing on sharing your genuine story. Unless you fed your whole essay into an AI and copied the result word for word (which you didn't), you don’t have to worry. Admissions offices want a true sense of who you are, and using tools like Grammarly is standard practice. You're in the clear.
Kathy Jayanth
Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley | Economics & Slavic Studies
Experience
5 years