AI has arrived to college admissions. What does it mean for students?

 

Much like every other sector of life, the rapid development of AI will undoubtedly shape the future of college admissions. What you may not know is that AI is already at play in the admissions review process.

So how should students approach essays and applications in light of the growing role of AI? The answers are probably not what you’d expect –

AI has already arrived to the admissions review process.
In a survey cited by Inside Higher Ed, 50% of college admissions respondents said AI was already in use in their admissions review process. The catch? Those responses were collected in 2023. In the two years since then the capabilities and accessibility of AI tools have grown exponentially, so it is safe to assume that at this point admissions offices that are not deploying AI in their review process are in the extreme minority. If we can be almost certain that some components of your application will be screened with the use of AI, how does that change the ways students should engage the process?

So how are colleges using AI in the review process?

Unfortunately, while we know that the use of AI is nearly ubiquitous, most universities are quiet about the ways they are employing these tools. Known uses range from scanning applications for academic performance data and markers of student engagement, all the way to UNC Chapel Hill’s disclosure in the Daily Tar Heel that AI tools are used to score essay writing on the basis of “the quality of word choice, sentence structure, sentence variability, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, length, and more in an applicant’s essay.”

What does this change for applicants?

Tempting as it may be for students to also lean into AI tools to come up with essay responses or to generate ideas of what activities will make them more desirable applicants, we urge serious caution with this approach. The use of AI tools in the application review process by colleges and universities will make it easier to spot AI generated or influenced writing and ideas. This means that spending time crafting writing that thoughtfully conveys your own unique perspectives and voice as a writer is more essential than ever. In this context, the quality and originality of writing will grow in importance as a factor in the admissions process.

We also anticipate that AI may make a ‘holistic review’ process that so many colleges aspire to provide more accessible and more important. The combination of human and AI review in the admissions process will make it more likely that colleges are reading applications in their totality for alignment to a student’s stated areas of interest. Simply writing a great supplement that states a student’s interest in business is unlikely to be enough. Instead, applicants should pay careful attention to how not only their application writing, but also their high school coursework, involvements, activities, and contributions reflect the skills, interests, curiosities and passions they profess.

What else may change?

Since 2023, we have been predicting that some colleges may implement more innovative writing & video requirements in the admissions process, and we may see more of these requirements or optional opportunities pop up in light of evolving AI. There are already some colleges that provide time-bound supplemental essay prompts, and this is a practice we may see more colleges experiment with. Another possibility is we also may see colleges varying their supplemental prompts year over year so that students and AI tools can rely less on past responses.

There are a small but growing number of colleges who offer or require the submission of a video response. Sometimes these give students time to craft and edit ahead, other times the student has to login, receive a prompt and respond within a fixed amount of time, to get a more off the cuff response. We are curious to see if this practice increases.

No matter what happens in admissions or technological advancements, a few things remain true. Thoughtfully pursuing your interests throughout high school in ways that deepen your exploration of topics of interest and connect you meaningfully in community will not only help you craft a compelling application, but will more importantly support your growth. Authentically undertaking the college essay writing process also remains a valuable experience for young people. At its best, the personal and supplemental essay writing process invites a student to explore who they are, reflect on what factors have shaped them, and consider how they envision themselves contributing to the world as they grow, academically and personally. Expressing these authentic and original perspectives will still carry meaning in the admissions process, and will also continue to serve as a powerful life experience for students in the transition from high school to college.
TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and prepare their most compelling applications. If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, get in touch here. We look forward to connecting with you.

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