🤖 Can Colleges Tell If You Used AI on Your Essays? (POLL)

If you’re writing your personal statement or supplementals, you might be tempted to ask: Can admissions officers tell if I used AI?

The short answer: Sometimes, yes. And they’re getting better at it.

But even if a bot writes “well,” it certainly won't knock admissions officers over.

💡 How Admissions Officers Spot AI

Admissions readers aren’t just scanning for perfect grammar or elegant phrasing. They’re looking for you.

Here’s what raises red flags:

Mismatch in voice: If your essays sound nothing like your transcript, activities list, or recommendations, they’ll notice.
Generic or empty writing: Essays that feel too polished but say very little—no real vulnerability, emotion, or vivid detail—feel AI-generated, even if they're technically well-written.
AI detectors: Some colleges use tools like Turnitin or GPTZero. These aren’t flawless, but they flag writing that looks pattern-based or robotic.

✅ Use AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch

You can use AI to:

brainstorm or generate ideas
experiment with structure or transitions
help rephrase awkward sentences

But Don’t:

❌ submit fully AI-written drafts

❌ polish your voice into something that isn’t yours

❌ rely on AI to explain your values, personality, or insights

👉 Bottom Line

The best essays aren’t “perfect”—they’re human.

They’re specific, self-aware, and full of your perspective. That’s what makes admissions officers stop skimming and start remembering you.

Write with your brain. Edit with care. Use tools for support—but the story should still be yours.

❕And btw, do you know how I know it’s not enough? Because I’ve tried. Even when I give AI a decent draft along with sharp instructions and examples of real standout essays, the edits falls flat—because it’s not personal. It’s shallow and generic, far from impressive. The only solution is to write it yourself, in your voice.

📊 POLL: Have you used AI to help with your school or college essays?

✅ I’ve tried it — it's SO helpful

🤷‍♀️ I’ve tried it — the judge is still out

❌ I’ve tried it — I'm NOT impressed

🤔 Not yet — but I’m planning to

✍️ No — I’m doing it all on my own

14 votes

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