Using AI for College Essays: Smart Shortcut or Big Mistake?

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, creeping its way into almost every corner of our lives. While it has its pros in certain parts of our day-to-day lives, its place within the College Readiness journey sways more negative than positive. Ahead, we explore the ways that utilizing AI during your college application process can actually hurt your college essays instead of helping them.  

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But First, What Really is AI?

According to Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education, AI was originally created as a data analysis tool. In the 21st century, it has evolved into what’s called generative AI, which “creates new text based on past data.” This means that AI engines (also called large language models), including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, analyze the information they are given—whether from the internet or input from their users—and respond based on what they believe the desired output should be. “It’s like the predictive text feature on your phone,” the blog post explains, “...as you start typing a new message, predictive text makes suggestions of what should come next based on data from past conversations.”

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How Can AI Impact Your College Application?

Your college application is an opportunity to showcase who you really are and the impact you can make on a college campus. Specifically, when it comes to the personal statement portion of an application, AI can actually do more harm than good.

As Rene Kizilcec, associate professor of information science in Cornell Bowers, said in the Cornell Chronicle, “Asking for a full draft will yield a generic essay that just does not sound like any real applicant.” Further, a study by Cornell’s field of information science supports this claim. 

According to the study, “LLM-generated essays are linguistically distinct from human-authored essays, regardless of the specific model and analytical approach.” This means that no matter how many times you prompt your favorite AI tool or how much socioeconomic information you provide, it will still not have that uniqueness that makes you you.

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So What Should You Do Instead?

Instead of falling back on generative AI to write your essays, look at your personal statement as an opportunity to grow and get to know yourself better. 

According to our Veteran College Readiness Consultant, Brandi Gaylord, you should start by asking yourself the following questions:

• How would I describe myself?
  
  • What unique interests and hobbies do I have? Are there any activities that make me who I am?

• How would my friends and family describe me?

• What experiences have shaped me into the person I am today?
  
  • This one can be a challenge; we get it. Start by writing down as many things that come to mind. The moment doesn’t have to be obvious or out there. Just consider what moments have shaped your perspective of the world.  

• Do you have an idea you want to bring to life? Are you looking to find your people? All of this helps provide color as to why you’re a fit on campus.

• What have I overcome to get to where I am today?
  
  • Again, this one can be hard if there isn’t an obvious answer. But think about meaningful moments you’ve had to pause or self-reflect. Those moments, no matter how small, are obstacles too.

The Benefits of Writing Your Personal Statement on Your Own

Alongside ensuring your essay doesn’t sound like AI, writing your own essay will set you up for success as you enter the next chapter of your educational journey. Harvard’s blog says that the exercise can help you “develop your critical thinking and analysis skills, learn to be a great communicator, be impacted by what you’re learning about, and improve your research skills.” These qualities will make you a better student in the long run and ensure that you feel ready as you tackle your college-level courses.

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If You Really Want To Use AI, How Can You Use It Within Your Application Process?

While we strongly advise against using AI during your application process, we know that it’s hard to avoid temptation in our current climate. As such, it may be appropriate to use AI tools for the following purposes only (and with caveats):

• For brainstorming
  
  • If you’re running low on ideas, you can ask AI for more in-depth questions to help kick-start your creativity. Try prompts like “ask me questions about my childhood” or “ask me questions about my ambitions for college." This could help you get a better idea of where to begin your personal statement.
• For grammar checks‍
  
  • You can ask AI, specifically Grammarly, to check the grammar on your essay, but oftentimes, this leads to suggestions about sentence structure, which ultimately may affect your content. If you do use AI in this way, make sure that it focuses solely on spelling errors or punctuation so that your essay does not begin to read as AI-generated.

So, Should You Use AI for Your College Applications?

We recommend avoiding the use of AI in your college applications. We know that you’re capable of digging deep and expressing yourself in a way that shows the universities you’re applying to exactly why you deserve a spot on campus. With the support of your loved ones and your College Readiness Consultant, your essay will be a strong reflection of what makes you unique. An essay that reflects who you truly are will ensure that you land at the university that best suits you. 

How to Utilize Cram Crew for Your College Application

Our College Readiness program is designed to support you through the entire college application process. From helping write admissions essays to crafting the perfect resume, your Cram Crew Consultant will be by your side through it all. They’ll get to know you and empower you to tell your story in the most impactful way. Their insights and encouragement will make it easy to skip out on using AI tools. Instead, they’ll be your partner in expressing yourself and putting your best foot forward.