- Students who use tools like ChatGPT to write their college essays need to walk a fine line.
- Colleges will likely penalize students who submit completely AI-generated applications.
- Using AI to edit or draft the essays may be acceptable though, a tutoring company founder says.
The education sector has had a rough ride with generative AI.
After the release of ChatGPT, some colleges and schools were quick to put a blanket ban on the bot when students began using it to write their essays. Professors and teachers were left with the difficult task of navigating the new concept of AI plagiarism.
Now, several colleges have changed their tune and are encouraging students and staff to use generative AI as a tool — as long as they don’t use it to cheat. However, the guidance is still pretty vague, especially when it comes to admissions and college essays.
“The landscape is shifting, but colleges are not unified in their approach to GPT,” Adam Nguyen, founder of tutoring company Ivy Link, told Insider. “If you look across the landscape of college admissions, especially elite college admissions, there are no clear rules on whether you could use GPT or not.”
In February, I tested the chatbot’s ability to write college application essays. The results were relatively successful, with two private admissions tutors agreeing the essays definitely passed for ones written by a real student and probably would have had a shot at most colleges, but probably not the most selective institutions.
There are telltale signs when an entire essay is AI-generated, Nguyen said. For example, there tends to be a lot of repetition, and the essays are generally mediocre.
“If an essay is clearly written by AI, I think they will penalize the student and that application,” Nguyen said.
While it’s clear students should be writing their own work, it’s less clear if students are allowed to use the tech to help them draft or edit essays.
As colleges grudgingly accept that AI is not going anyway, Nguyen said there’s a fine line for students to walk.
“If you fill in the details, restructure the essay, and provide the specific language and sentences, that will make the essay your own,” he said. “I think many colleges would be fine with that.”
He continued, “I would suggest not using it as a default. If you’re really stuck, you could use it to start.” He suggested that, as a general rule, at least 80% of the essays needed to be edited and changed to be on the safe side.
“If an essay’s really good, it won’t raise any suspicion, and I don’t think most colleges will care that you use GPT to start, as long as they can’t tell either,” he added.
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