As assignments pile up and the deadline to submit your Common App essay looms closer, it may be tempting to use an AI chatbot to write it for you. Large language models (LLMs) such as Chat-GPT or Gemini are like supercharged autocomplete machines — they generate text by predicting what words are likely to follow other words (PCMag and The Guardian feature in-depth explanations of LLMs). Its ability to generate text quickly means that people have been using LLMs for writing-based tasks, whether to produce a fully-written work email or brainstorm ideas for an essay.
Under the Common App fraud policy, submitting “the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence platform, technology, or algorithm” as one’s own counts as fraud. Common App’s indefinite policy seems to reflect the organization’s goal of “keep up with the changing technologies,” leaving schools to interpret the policy as they will. While Brown University states that the use of AI is “not permitted under any circumstances,” the University of California permits students to use AI to “receive advice on content and editing,” but the “content and final written text must be their own.” The honors program at the University of Michigan has gone meta by having applicants use AI to generate essays and write their own essays discussing whether or not the AI-generated essay accurately reflects their response to the prompt.
While students have received mixed reactions as to whether or not they are allowed to use AI tools in their application essay, many admissions officers are already using AI to assist in many parts of application review. 82% of educational institutions will use AI in admissions by 2024, according to Intelligent.com’s survey of 399 professionals in education and admission departments. Although AI is more commonly used to review letters of recommendation and transcripts, 60% of those surveyed say that AI is used to review essays. Additionally, researchers have developed AI tools that can assist admissions officers in reviewing essays for specific traits, such as leadership or prosocial behaviour, though it should be noted that colleges are not yet using these tools. Whether AI detection tools are — and should — be used in admissions essays is nebulous. They are currently unable to confidently predict whether a text is AI-generated; OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, shut down their AI detection software due to low accuracy. On the other hand, humans are only able to correctly identify AI-generated writing about 50% of the time.
Although detecting an AI-written text is not an indefinite science, AI-generated essays often have telltale signs of its algorithmic origins, such as a lack of specific details, poorly connected ideas, repetitive and predictable writing, use of stereotypes and cliches, and an inability to write compellingly about an applicant’s emotional experience. In an experiment, former Ivy League college admissions counselor Adam Nguyen distinguished the AI-generated essay from the one written by a human. Despite the essay’s human-like writing, the essay was vague, jumped from idea to idea frequently and without warning, and ended abruptly.
As a personal experiment, I tried to reverse engineer Andy Duehren’s essay for Harvard University into a prompt and see if ChatGPT could produce a compelling college essay.
The prompt is as follows:
Write me a 650 word common app essay. Open with a scene of my father and I hiking the Precipice Trail in the Acadia National Park, where my dad is struggling. Include dialogue with me suggesting we take a water break and my dad agreeing. Then, flash back and show how I used to idolize my father for the strength and comfort he provided, but as his mental illness made him depressed and absentminded, I grew more critical of his shortcomings. This flashback ends with me resolving to never be vulnerable like him, to “be the man.” Flash to the present, where I am taking pride in my masculinity, and as my father and I rest, he asks if I have read David Brooks’s column for that week. As he tells me about it, I feel guilty over my perceived superiority and reflect about how masculinity isn’t about external standards, such as physical fitness or never failing, but about continuing to persevere despite our imperfections and supporting others with compassion. End the essay my father finishing talking about the Brooks article and a line of dialogue about me getting the water.
This is what it produced:
As the morning sun cast golden hues on the jagged cliffs of the Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park, my father and I trekked along the rugged path, our footsteps synchronized with the rhythm of nature. My father, a sturdy figure of strength in my eyes, was struggling more than usual, his breaths labored and his steps faltering. Concern etched across my face, I gently suggested, “Dad, let’s take a water break.”
He nodded, grateful for the respite, and we settled on a boulder overlooking the vast expanse of the park. As we sipped from our water bottles, my father’s eyes sparkled with appreciation for the serene beauty around us. “You know,” he began, his voice a mixture of exhaustion and contentment, “this reminds me of something David Brooks wrote about last week…”
His words triggered a flashback to a time when my admiration for my father knew no bounds. In my childhood, he was my hero, embodying strength, resilience, and unwavering support. Whether it was teaching me to ride a bike or consoling me after a tough day at school, he was my rock. I aspired to be just like him, to carry myself with the same fortitude and confidence that seemed to define masculinity.
However, as years passed and my father’s battle with mental illness intensified, his once steadfast demeanor began to crack. Depression made him withdrawn and absentminded, his once vibrant spirit dimming. I couldn’t reconcile this new image of him with the idol I had built in my mind. Frustration and disappointment crept into my heart, and I found myself growing critical of his shortcomings.
One day, amidst his struggles, I made a silent vow to myself. I swore never to be as vulnerable as he was, never to show weakness or falter under pressure. I convinced myself that to “be the man” meant embodying an image of unyielding strength and infallibility.
Back in the present, my father’s voice pulled me from my reverie. He spoke passionately about the insights from David Brooks’s column, his eyes alight with intellectual curiosity. Despite his physical exhaustion, his mind was sharp as ever. A pang of guilt washed over me as I realized the arrogance of my perceived superiority.
I had been so focused on proving my masculinity through external measures – physical fitness, never showing vulnerability, always being right – that I had lost sight of what truly mattered. Masculinity, I realized, wasn’t about conforming to rigid standards or never faltering; it was about embracing our imperfections, learning from our failures, and showing compassion and empathy to others.
My father’s struggles had taught me more about true strength than any macho ideal ever could. It was in his moments of vulnerability, his perseverance despite adversity, and his unwavering love and support that I found the essence of masculinity.
As my father finished recounting the article, he chuckled softly and said, “Well, enough philosophizing for now. How about we finish that water and tackle the next part of the trail?”
I smiled, a newfound sense of understanding and humility filling my heart. “Sure, Dad,” I replied, grabbing the water bottle and taking a long sip. “Let’s keep going.”
This AI-generated essay isn’t terrible — in fact, I was pleasantly surprised at some of its turn of phrases, such as “our footsteps synchronized with the rhythm of nature.” Feeding ChatGPT a detailed prompt based on high-quality source material would generate a better outcome than a more generic prompt, like “Write me a 650 word common app essay about a complicated father-son relationship and learning to redefine masculinity”. However, the AI-generated essay misses the mark in comparison to Duehren’s original essay. While Duehren’s essay is filled with specific anecdotes, such as memories of going to McDonald’s on Saturdays and ordering the same meal, the “memories” the AI-generated essay references are generic (e.g learning to ride a bike). If the essay reads like it could have been written by any other applicant, then it has failed to do its job of showcasing the applicant’s personality to the admissions officers.
Chat-GPT also relies on trite phrases (e.g. “a newfound sense of understanding and humility filling my heart”) to convey emotional experiences, which fails to meaningfully connect with the reader. Since Chat-GPT cannot feel, it cannot explore a person’s interiority, like when Duehren explains the guilt he feels about judging his father. Chat-GPT’s literalness and inability to deviate from the prompt (where creativity comes into play) results in its dependence on the phrasing used in the prompt, and nowhere is it more obvious than in its use of transition phrases (e.g. “His words triggered a flashback” or “Back in the present”). Although AI-detection software should not be the sole arbiter of whether or not a text was written by AI, GPTZero predicted that the essay had a 100% probability that it was AI-generated.
Admissions officers generally agree that a student’s voice, personal stories and specifics, and intrapersonal reflection are often lacking in AI-generated essays. The Common App essay teaches students to think and write independently, and despite its challenges and frustrations, students who undergo this rite of passage develop the valuable skills needed to succeed in higher learning. No matter how detailed the prompt you enter in Chat-GPT is, no one can tell your story like you.
About the Author
Vivian Zhi is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto majoring in English and Book & Media Studies. Beyond academic pursuits, her journey has been shaped by hands-on editorial experience. As a former intern at Renaissance Press and Canadian Mennonite University Press, she honed her skills in acquisition editing, crafting promotional copy, and building audience connections. Vivian’s commitment is further evident in her volunteer work, such as serving as a Community Ambassador at Write the World, where she guided young voices to craft authentic personal essays. This passion fueled her role as Publishing Director at INKspire, where she spearheaded the Writer Fellowship Program, nurturing 20 writers and streamlining operations. Vivian looks forward to continuing to help young writers create a personal essay that authentically captures their story and spirit.
Sources:
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-is-chatgpt-a-basic-explainer
https://www.intelligent.com/8-in-10-colleges-will-use-ai-in-admissions-by-2024/
https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2023/10/college-application-essays/
https://www.colorado.edu/today/2023/11/08/should-ai-read-your-college-essay-its-complicated
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