AI, ChatGPT and Your College Essay: What to Know
To say that Artificial Intelligence programs like ChatGPT and Google Bard are creating shockwaves in educational institutions (and elsewhere) is a massive understatement – but you don’t want to let your fascination with the new tech carry you away. Using it for your college admission essay is a big mistake.
While ChatGPT can provide valuable information and assistance on various topics, it is not a replacement for your own intellect or words when you’re writing a college admission essay. In fact, trying to pass off something created in ChatGPT or another AI program as your own could get you barred from the college of your dreams.
Why Are Schools Banning ChatGPT?
The number one reason that institutions of higher education are banning ChatGPT and other AI programs from use is that they “rig the system.” In the estimation of many admissions officers, an essay written by AI is nothing short of academic dishonesty, akin to plagiarism.
In order to understand their perspective, you have to understand that universities and colleges use the admission essay to look for a variety of different things, including:
- A student’s writing skills, including how clearly and thoughtfully they convey their ideas
- The student’s ability to gain insight from their experiences and passions
- A student’s critical thinking skills, creativity and originality when expressing their thoughts
- ChatGPT and other programs lack all the elements that make you unique, so even if you manage to pass an AI-generated essay off as your own, you can end up hurting your chances for admission.
Forbes, for example, used ChatGPT to generate responses to the 2022-2023 Common Application and sent them to some college admission officers. The verdict? One reviewer said they were “built just as a middle school English teacher would have instructed” and “so perfectly constructed that they lack soul.” Another called one essay “cliche” and said that what AI produced was simply “too vague and flat to stand out.”
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, especially if you’re applying to a top-tier or Ivy League school where you need a strong personal voice to garner some attention and give your application an edge. If anything, it further highlights the problems with relying on a machine that can only provide an aggregate response based on what’s already out there on the web – without any real human emotion behind it and no personalization.
What if You Try to Pass AI-Generated Work Off as Your Own?
If you try to pass off an essay written by AI as your own, not only is that misrepresenting a piece of intellectual property as your original work, but it deprives you of a chance to capture your personal journey, your character traits and your values in a compelling narrative that could gain you a coveted spot in the next round of admissions.
Plus, AI isn’t introspective. Most college admission essays have some element of self-reflection, and ChatGPT can’t genuinely and authentically reflect your thoughts and emotions about your experience and goals. Again, that could put your essay in the category of “well-written but forgettable,” which isn’t your goal.
Finally, AI-detection tools may currently be in their infancy and somewhat unreliable, but don’t assume that will continue to be true. If there’s any question about the authenticity of your essay, you need to be able to show your process (and maybe early drafts of your work).
Crafting a college admission essay is an opportunity for you to shine. Approach this project with the time investment and effort that it demands. An authentic voice, a well-written essay and a meaningful message that accurately reflects your unique experience and aspirations is worth its weight in gold.
