When we asked ChatGPT how to start this article about the ways you might use AI in your college apps, it recommended:
Welcome to my blog, where I’ll be delving into the fascinating world of college applications and unveiling the powerful tool that can revolutionize your approach: ChatGPT. As an AI language model developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an invaluable resource that can provide guidance, support, and valuable insights throughout your college application process. In this blog, we’ll explore the various ways you can harness the power of ChatGPT to streamline your application journey, make informed decisions, and maximize your chances of securing admission to your dream college.
So ChatGPT can write. It can also use inventive active verbs like “delve” and “revolutionize,” just like we challenge students to do in their essays. But should you use it to write your college essays? And what about using it for college research?
With one in five college students already using AI for assignments, we’ve been thinking a lot about how applicants, with so much on their plates, might be drawn to the tool. Here are our recommendations:
Don’t use ChatGPT to write your college essays. Just don’t.
Why? Because college essays aren’t actually writing assignments, in fact, they’re not really even about the writing at all.
[*Cue record scratch sound*]
We say it again and again to students and families: the number one thing colleges are looking for in a Personal Statement is authenticity. They want to get to know you. And nobody, not even ChatGPT, can put words to your experience better than you can.
AI chatbots can produce solid, generic writing that even includes descriptive details, if you ask for them. But the college essay isn’t about good writing. The essay is about showing who you really are, what you’ve experienced, your values, your personality, and what you can bring to any college campus as a person. Your essay should use language that you use in conversation to best give colleges an understanding of you outside of your transcript. They already have your English grade. Now they need to know who you are.
Much of our essay work at Colledge, especially early on in the essay process, is about helping students get out of their own way, and break out of English class writing habits, so their personal voice can shine on the page. ChatGPT is one more voice that isn’t yours to filter out. College essays are enough of a lift without having to sort through computer-generated content to make it your own (and make sure it fools AI-detecting admissions tools.)
All that said, we love ChatGPT as a tool for other parts of the college application process…
Do consider using ChatGPT to jumpstart your research!
ChatGPT is an undeniably genius tool that can help you access information from all over the internet. So if you aren’t sure where to start your college research or are overwhelmed by all of the info out there about schools, you’re in luck!
Using ChatGPT as a starting point for your research is a great idea. It can offer you qualities of a school, and even names programs or institutes, that you can then look up.
Disclaimer: ChatGPT and other AI chatbot tools are not guaranteed to be accurate (no shade here – ChatGPT told us itself that it was programmed only through Fall of 2021). So always follow up your searches with your own, deeper research.
Protip: Your school-specific supplemental essays require a lot of research like the below. But they also require an understanding of you, your dreams and your authentic interests. Once you’ve done the research, do the writing yourself.
Consider asking ChatGPT about:
Colleges, in general: What’s unique about Bowdoin?
Specific programs: What can you tell me about Bowdoin’s Marine Bio program?
What it’s like to live in a college’s location: Do students like living in New Brunswick, Maine?
Other Colleges: What other colleges would I like if I like Bowdoin?’
In the end, ChatGPT is a tool – and, as with any tool, it’s all about figuring out how best to use it.
The prime prerogative for any college application is putting the student’s authentic voice and experience at the center. So if you keep your voice and truth at the center – whether in building your best right-fit college list, writing your essays or developing your activities sections -you can’t go wrong.
And if you need a more organic form of intelligence for wrap-around support of your child’s path to college that AI simply can’t provide, reach out to us. We might not have the incredible search capabilities of ChatGPT, but we can tap into years of wisdom gained mentoring students through this process to help your child find their future college home.
