I must admit that I’m not tech-savvy and I generally use my phone and computer for work purposes and when communicating with family and friends. So in all honesty, I didn’t even know what ChatGPT was when it first came out until a prospective client asked if I used it as a writing tool. A little confused by the question, I proceeded to say that I didn’t even know what they were referring to and once I got off the call, I did a quick Google search to learn more.
Initially, I didn’t give it much thought but during the 2024-2025 application season, it started to impact me professionally as many college-bound students had no problem using it which led to issues concerning authenticity. Up until this point, I’d provide them with writing instruction via video call or through instructional comments via document exchange. Then, they would go back and revise their essays and I’d also guide them through their edits—always keeping the integrity of their words and ideas. But now, it seemed that most were opting for an AI writing tool that would produce an essay in a matter of minutes.
That being said, I’ve been doing some research of my own about the future direction of college essays in the age of AI and in particular, I came across Brennan Barnard’s article entitled “AI And The College Essay” published on Forbes which clearly underscores the issue at hand. In speaking with admissions officers from diverse US colleges and universities, Brennan comes to a general consensus and that is college admissions officers are well aware that some students opt to us AI-writing tools but the hope is that students utilize them for brainstorming help—not for actually writing their personal statement and supplemental essays. Reason being, essays are the only place on the application where students can fully control their own narrative.