getty
The college essay or “personal statement” gets a lot of airtime in admission. At least from applicants, but not as much as they might think from admission officers. In fact, in a survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), it is listed below curriculum, grades, and character as factors that colleges consider important in making decisions about an applicant’s candidacy. Even so, essays allow students to tell their story in unique ways that can distinguish them from a sea of other applicants. It is one part of the application that they still have control over as deadlines approach.
As artificial intelligence infiltrates every aspect of our lives, a great deal of the hand-wringing in admission around AI focuses on its use and/or abuse in essay writing. Should students use it? Do colleges know when they are? What are the rules around its use? How is it changing the utility of the essay? I asked admission leaders from four very different institutions about their views on essays and AI, and here is what they said.
Meet The Experts
Ben Baum is the vice president of enrollment at St. John’s College with campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. St. John’s is the third-oldest college in the United States and is known for its Great Books curriculum. Baum previously worked as an attorney and in admission at Tufts University.
Thyra Briggs is the vice president for admission and financial aid at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. While Harvey Mudd is known for its engineering, science, and mathematics curriculum, it is also unique because it is a liberal arts college and part of the Claremont Colleges consortium of five undergraduate institutions and two graduate schools. Briggs previously served as the dean of admission and enrollment at Sarah Lawrence College.
Grant Gosselin, dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid at Boston College, a Catholic liberal arts college founded by the Jesuits and the first institution of higher education in Boston. Gosselin previously served as the chief enrollment officer at both Babson College and Wheaton College.
Michael Stefanowicz, vice president for enrollment management at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont, a college for students who learn differently. Stefanowicz previously served as director of admission at St. Michael’s College.
What Is The Purpose Of The Essay?
Briggs says, “In an ideal world, the essay gives us a snapshot into the student’s world and what they care about–one that we wouldn’t get from the rest of the application. When they can write about anything they want, what do they choose? The essay hopefully adds a layer of personality to the sea of numbers.”
Ben Baum agrees, explaining, “Transcripts give us important information about a student’s ability to succeed in school, but they don’t tell us about a student’s fit for our unique approach to education. Does the student love to read? Are they passionate about discussing ideas? Are they open to respectful disagreement with their peers? Do they want to study across the humanities and the sciences? Essays can answer these kinds of questions, allowing us to identify the kind of student who will thrive at our particular college.”
{ if (!response.ok) { throw new Error(‘Network response was not ok’, preloadResourcesEndpoint); } return response.json(); }) .then(data => { const cssUrl = data.css; const cssUrlLink = document.createElement(‘link’); cssUrlLink.rel = ‘stylesheet’; cssUrlLink.href = cssUrl; cssUrlLink.as = ‘style’; cssUrlLink.media = ‘print’; cssUrlLink.onload = function() { this.media = ‘all’; }; document.head.appendChild(cssUrlLink); const hls = data.hls; const hlsScript = document.createElement(‘script’); hlsScript.src = hls; hlsScript.setAttribute(‘defer’, ‘1’); hlsScript.setAttribute(‘type’, ‘text/javascript’); document.head.appendChild(hlsScript); }).catch(error => { console.error(‘There was a problem with the fetch operation:’, error); }); } } loadConnatixScript(document); ]]>
Gosselin adds, “By the time a student applies to college, most of the work that fuels their application has been done–three years of high school coursework have been completed, test scores have been established, clubs and organizations have been joined, and those who will write recommendations have been identified. The personal statement is the opportunity for an applicant to be in the driver’s seat in applying to college, allowing them to add a personal voice in their application relative to their accomplishments, aspirations, goals, and values.”
Stefanowicz concludes, “The college essay serves two key purposes at my institution. First, it is to add a human dimension to the application with the student sharing something of personal importance with the admissions committee. Second is to share a polished piece of writing that the student can be proud of and reflects their best effort with editing.”
Has AI Changed The Value of The Essay?
Briggs feels that in some ways it has, saying, “I think we read the essay with less of a ‘can this student write well?’ lens and focus more on what they are sharing with us. In years of doing essay workshops, I would say that the essay was our chance to hear the student in their own voice. I’m not sure that’s the case as much anymore, but we still learn about them from their writing.”
Stefanowicz believes that AI is another factor in a longstanding issue about the support applicants receive with essays. He explains, “The essay is still about the student voice and the opportunity to showcase a polished piece of student writing. The AI tools are new, but the question of what appropriate help with the college essay looks like is one that admission counselors and school counselors have grappled with for some time.”
Gosselin recognizes the influence of AI but says, “I don’t believe that the purpose of the personal statement has changed as a result of the rise in AI technologies. AI is a tool, but doesn’t change what we hope to learn about students’ talents, unique attributes, and potential to positively impact a college community.”
Baum emphasizes, “For St. John’s, the original purpose of the essay is even more essential in the age of AI: we need to find those students who love books, writing, and discussing ideas enough to spend four years immersed in all three. Application essays generated by AI or any source other than the student’s own thinking won’t give us the evidence we need to know they will succeed at St. John’s.” He adds, “But essays are just one source of information about a student, and, for us, it is important to holistically weigh all the pieces of the application to ensure we are admitting the right students for our college. This is why St. John’s encourages every applicant to interview, and we recently launched a new alternative application, our Discussion-Based Application, where students undergo multiple interviews and participate in a seminar instead of writing application essays. We look for the identical factors in our interviews as we seek in an essay, so the standards are no different from those students who choose to submit application essays–just the mechanism of delivery.”
How Should Students Use AI?
Stefanowicz suggests, “The AI usage guidelines at the student’s high school or at the colleges they’re applying to could be a good place to start reflecting on whether or how to use AI in the writing process. Good educators have a range of opinions on this topic. Outlining and proofreading are likely the safest places to start while maintaining the student voice in the finished product.” He adds, “Some members of the learning disability community are considering how generative AI could serve as an accessibility tool, though there are a range of early opinions about appropriate use.”
Briggs points out that “Well-resourced students have been able to get support in writing their essays for years. I don’t think it’s a problem for students to use AI as a tool for brainstorming and seeing a framework of what an essay might look like. However, I would hope that students would then go through the work of making it their own and ensuring that their ideas are central.” She adds, “We’d be naive to think that students aren’t using AI, so let’s help them figure out how best to use it in a way that celebrates their ideas and makes them more confident in the importance of their own writing.”
Gosselin says, “At Boston College, we acknowledge that students may turn to AI as a guide, just as students have used other resources such as teachers, school counselors, and family members to help them brainstorm ideas. However, just as we would not permit students to have the people in their lives write their essays, we are clear in advising applicants that their essays may not include content copied from an AI or other sources.” Their website’s note for applicants on the use of artificial intelligence provides helpful guidance for students as they navigate the use of these tools.
Final Thoughts For Applicants
While a well-written, thoughtful essay is not going to replace your high school record, it is an opportunity to communicate your values, strengths, interests, and personal story. AI has the potential to level the playing field of support that applicants receive in telling this story. But as with any assistance, it should not drown out or be a substitute for your voice. Colleges need to be better about articulating their AI policies in admission. In the meantime, you can find some sample policies in this resource from the NACAC’s AI and Admission Special Interest Group. As the AI space evolves, hopefully, colleges will find new and innovative ways for applicants to tell their stories. Until then, the essay continues to play an important role in the holistic admission process, so lean in ethically and authentically.
