AI May Be Scoring Your College Essay: What Writers Need to Know
Students are told not to use chatbots to write their essays. Meanwhile, many admissions teams are experimenting with AI to sort and score those same essays. That tension is real - and it's reshaping how your writing gets read.
Across campuses, enrollment leaders are testing tools to handle volume, flag issues, and keep reviews consistent. People like Juan Espinoza, vice provost for enrollment management at Virginia Tech, represent the front line of this shift: fewer hours, more applications, and pressure to make quick, fair calls.
Why admissions is turning to AI
- Volume: Applications keep rising. AI can triage drafts before humans review.
- Consistency: Models apply the same rubric to every essay, which helps reduce random variance.
- Speed: First-pass screens surface likely admits or outliers for deeper human reads.
- Cost: AI support stretches staff time during peak months.
What these systems are likely checking
- Prompt fit: Clear answer to the actual question. No generic drift.
- Structure: Logical flow, paragraphing, and transitions that make sense.
- Specificity: Concrete details, named people/places, timestamps, outcomes.
- Voice consistency: Style that holds from start to finish without sudden tonal shifts.
- Originality signals: Low overlap with known sources; few cliché patterns.
- Mechanics: Clean grammar, varied sentences, precise word choice.
How to write essays that stand up to humans and machines
- Open with a moment: Start from a specific scene, decision, or problem. Two sentences that pull the reader in beat a vague intro every time.
- Name the nouns: Schools, teams, tools, dates, numbers. Specifics anchor your voice and reduce "AI-generic" signals.
- Show change: What you did, what changed, and how you think differently now. Tie it back to the prompt.
- Cut autopilot phrases: Kill lines like "I have always been passionate about…" Replace with one vivid, personal detail.
- Read it out loud: Fix clunky rhythms and filler. Your ear catches what your eyes miss.
- Keep a paper trail: Save notes, drafts, and feedback. If asked, you can show how the piece evolved.
- Use tools as a mirror, not a ghostwriter: Spellcheck, outline checks, and readability passes are fine. Rewrite the final prose yourself.
Ethics: assistance vs authorship
Brainstorming with AI, building an outline, or asking for critique sits on the "assist" side. Submitting bot-written prose crosses the line. If a school asks about AI use, be honest and specific about how you used it.
Signals that help your voice carry
- First-person insight: Own your take. Tell the reader what a moment taught you, not just what happened.
- Concrete language: Short verbs. Simple nouns. Cut adverbs and fluff.
- Selective vulnerability: Share the real stakes. Don't overshare; focus on growth.
- Tidy endings: Close the loop. The final paragraph should echo the opening moment, now changed.
For counselors and freelance writers who help applicants
- Start with interviews, not templates: Record a 20-minute chat. Pull quotes and moments into an outline.
- Teach revision: Two passes: structure first, style second. Tools can flag issues, but the student should do the rewrite.
- Document process: Keep session notes and drafts to protect integrity and set expectations with families.
What this means beyond admissions
If AI is helping score college essays, expect similar filters on scholarships, internships, fellowships, even grant statements. The craft doesn't change: clear thinking, concrete detail, honest voice. The bar for vague writing gets higher.
Policies and guidance
Level up your AI literacy (without losing your voice)
- AI tools for copywriting - what to use for drafts, checks, and idea generation.
- Prompt techniques - turn messy thoughts into outline-ready notes you can rewrite in your style.
Bottom line
Write essays a human wants to read and a model can't ignore: specific, insightful, and yours. Use AI for feedback, not authorship. Keep the process clean, keep receipts, and let your details do the heavy lifting.
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