As AI technology continues to evolve, it is increasingly being used to automate various aspects of the admissions process for Universities. One area where AI has shown promise is in the writing of application essays. With AI-powered writing tools, like ChatGPT, students can receive suggestions and corrections that could potentially improve their essays and increase their chances of acceptance. They can even ask the program to write the whole essay, avoiding any kind of work.  However, the use of AI in this context raises ethical questions around issues such as fairness, bias, and authenticity. In this blog, we will examine the ethical implications of using AI to write University admission essays and explore both the potential benefits and drawbacks of this approach.

We have to know that admissions committees expect essays to reflect a student’s unique perspective and writing style. The use of AI may compromise the integrity of the application process, since it is not really the student’s perspective that will be reflected in the essay, but a “general perspective” compiled by the artificial intelligence algorithms. That’s why I am convinced that by using ChatGPT to write application essays, the essay requirement portion may lose validity and relevance moving forward.

However, I believe that using AI tools to write application essays has several potential positive aspects. Firstly, it can help to alleviate the burden on students who struggle with writing or have limited access to writing resources. The structural circumstances of each student are different. There are those who live in contexts of educational lag that do not allow them to develop their writing skills to the fullest or don’t have people who can help them. In this sense, relying on artificial intelligence can set fairer conditions so that all students can demonstrate their knowledge in a more balanced way. This could increase the chances of acceptance for students who may have otherwise struggled to write an effective essay. I believe that these advantages can only come with a responsible use of artificial intelligence. In the end, asking ChatGPT to write your entire essay can be considered as committing plagiarism. However, a specific use for drafting and organizing your own ideas can undoubtedly be positive. 

In conclusion, the use of AI to write University application essays has both potential benefits and drawbacks. While AI-powered writing tools can assist students in improving their writing, there are concerns around the authenticity and integrity of the final product. Admissions committees expect essays to reflect a student’s unique voice and perspective, and the use of AI may compromise this. Therefore, it is essential that students consider the ethical implications of using AI in the admissions process. Universities have to ensure that the evaluation of applicants strives to be fair and unbiased. They need to strike a balance between utilizing technology to aid students while maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the admissions process. Looking ahead, students and Universities will not only have to deal with the impact of AI on application essays, but also with the other admission processes or even transform the way we conceive the value of higher education.