In this article, Aralia details how universities are utilizing AI in college admissions, the reasons leading to the decision to adopt AI, and what students should take note of in light of this shift.
1. A Growing Number of US Universities Are Publicly Using AI in Admissions
According to admissions experts, some universities have quietly integrated AI into their application review processes, and others have openly announced it, highlighting the technology’s potential to shorten decision timelines, reduce staff workload, and minimize human error.
A 2023 survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed found that roughly 50% of US colleges and universities had used AI at some stage of the admissions process, and this figure has likely risen in recent years.
A notable example is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). According to a report by The Daily Tar Heel in January, UNC used an AI tool to grade the applicants’ essays based on criteria such as vocabulary quality, sentence structure, sentence variation, grammar, punctuation, and essay length. The AI system serves as an initial screening before getting evaluated by admissions officers.
Virginia Tech is one of the most transparent institutions in using AI technology for admissions. The university officially launched an AI-powered essay-reading tool this fall to expedite the release of admissions decisions a month earlier than in previous years. According to a university vice president, AI’s greatest advantage is its consistency: it does not get tired, is not influenced by emotions, and is unaffected by personal conditions. As a result, using AI not only improves the efficiency of the application review process but also levels the playing field through fair, consistent admissions decisions.
Additionally, some institutions use AI to verify the “authenticity” of application materials. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is piloting an AI system that requires applicants who submit a research project to participate in a video interview with a chatbot. Faculty members then review the interview content to assess the student’s true understanding of the research as part of the evaluation.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has updated its Code of Ethics to include a dedicated section on AI, emphasizing that the use of technology must ensure transparency, integrity, fairness, and respect for students’ dignity. In addition, NACAC has established a specialized group on AI (the AI in College Admission SIG) to guide and monitor university admissions offices in using AI responsibly and appropriately.
Improve Your Grades Within One Semester
2. Why Universities Adopt AI in Admissions?
The primary reason US universities are using AI is its efficiency enabled by high processing power. In recent years, many colleges and universities have experienced a sharp rise in applications due to the adoption of “test-optional” policies. Due to a surge in application volume, staffing levels struggled to keep pace, resulting in delays in application review and admissions decisions. With this prevalent problem, AI has emerged as an optimal support solution.
AI tools can evaluate up to 250,000 essays in one hour, whereas an admissions officer typically takes at least two minutes to read a single essay. This remarkable efficiency allows universities to save significant time and cut costs during the admissions process. AI automates technical and recurrent tasks such as entering transcript data, checking minimum GPA requirements, sorting applications by intended major, or summarizing recommendation letters. These applications lighten the workload for admissions officers and university staff and also minimize clerical errors, such as data entry mistakes.
3. Examples of How AI Is Being Used to Support the Admissions Process
- Georgia Tech is utilizing AI tools to read transfer students’ transcripts, removing manually entered data from each application into the system. As a result, applicants can see how many credits will be accepted, reducing waiting time and heightened anxiety. The university is also testing AI programs to identify low-income bracket students eligible for financial aid, particularly those unaware of this opportunity.
- Stony Brook University uses AI to review transcripts, as well as employing tools capable of summarizing application essays and recommendation letters, which allows admissions officers to quickly grasp relevant information such as present illness, family hardships, or caregiving responsibilities mentioned in the materials.
According to a survey by Intelligent, more than 70% of admissions officers today use AI for reviewing transcripts and recommendation letters. Around 60% report using AI to evaluate personal essays, and 50% use AI chatbots for preliminary interviews or interview content.
Moreover, large public universities are more likely to utilize AI technology than smaller private institutions, as they require a large amount of manpower to process tens or even hundreds of thousands of applications yearly. Most experts today believe that AI is primarily used to expedite the admissions process rather than to replace administrative roles and decisions.
4. Do Students and Parents Support the Use of AI in Admissions?
The controversy of utilizing AI in college admissions has mixed reactions from students and parents. In particular, the news that many universities are using AI to read and evaluate personal statements has caused concern and dissatisfaction among both students and parents.
After UNC announced its use of AI to assess application essays, the university received significant negative feedback. Under pressure, UNC clarified on its admissions website that AI only provides reference data and that every application is still completely evaluated by human admissions officers.
Virginia Tech has also noted that other universities are closely monitoring public reactions before deciding whether to adopt similar technologies. At Virginia Tech, AI, along with admissions officers, serves as a reader for an applicant’s essay. If there is a large discrepancy between the AI’s score and the human reader’s evaluation, another admissions officer will review the essay to ensure an objective and impartial result.
Traditionally, the personal essay is a student’s medium for conveying their unique voice to present themselves to the admissions committee. In many cases, allowing AI to evaluate essays may lower the chances of admission for students whose essays are particularly skilled in the decision-making process. Although many universities have offered reasonable explanations for how AI is used, students and parents generally continue to express their unease and concern about this issue.
5. Are Students Allowed to Use AI in Their College Applications?
According to the education research organization Foundry10, approximately 30% of high school students used AI tools to help with their essay writing. Some major organizations, such as the US News, have integrated AI-powered writing tools into their college admissions advising, effectively legitimizing the use of AI as a support tool in application preparation. However, students are only permitted to use AI as an aid and are not allowed to rely on it to complete or generate substantive components of their applications on their behalf. Common and acceptable uses of AI include brainstorming ideas for personal essays, helping identify suitable colleges, or assisting in organizing extracurricular activities within an application.
Most US universities currently prohibit students from using AI to write application essays or other core components and require applicants to certify that they have not used AI dishonestly or inappropriately. Depending on each institution’s policies, students may be allowed to use AI for certain preparatory tasks or be strictly prohibited from using it altogether.
Some universities are also exploring alternative admissions formats to reduce the risk of inauthentic applications, especially through generative AI. St. John’s University, for example, has introduced a “Discussion-Based Application” and encourages applicants to participate in interviews. Instead of submitting a traditional essay, students must partake in multiple interview rounds and an academic discussion session. The university emphasizes that it meets the same criteria as traditional essays, but through a different format designed to control the use of AI.
6. What Should Students Keep in Mind Amid Changes in U.S. College Admissions?
One of the biggest concerns surrounding AI is the risk of bias rooted in historical data fed into AI algorithms. If AI is trained on past admissions models, it may inadvertently favor groups of students who were more frequently admitted in the past, such as those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds or from high schools with strong admissions track records (for example, boarding schools with 30% acceptance rates for the Ivy League). This concern prompted the PhD program in Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin to discontinue the use of an admissions algorithm it had developed internally.
AI is also reshaping the role of the admissions essay. According to admissions officers, essays today are no longer judged primarily on writing skill, but rather on the student’s story, motivation, and personal experiences. Some universities have even shifted their strategies toward alternative evaluation formats, such as interviews, group discussions, or academic projects, to arrive at a more impartial and all-encompassing assessment.
For students, using AI as an initial reference for extracurricular ideas or academic exploration may be helpful. However, AI-generated lists are often formulaic, lacking depth, interdisciplinary insight, and personalization. If students rely solely on AI, their applications can easily become “look-alike” and impersonal, something universities actively avoid.
Aralia Students Are 4x More Likely to Publish a Research Paper
7. How Should Students Prepare?
Stay informed about the latest admissions policies: Even if the universities you plan to apply to use AI in their admissions processes, researching their terms on AI usage will help you prepare more effectively and develop a suitable application strategy.
Don’t focus on just one component of your application: Many students devote most of their effort to the personal essay, but as more universities use AI to read essays, a different focus may be better. US colleges practice holistic admissions, so, in addition to your essay, foreground other strong highlights that help admissions officers better understand who you are, such as building a résumé or personal portfolio, pursuing a passion project, participating in scientific research projects, or competing in prestigious international competitions.
Use AI responsibly: AI is an extremely powerful tool that requires great responsibility. If you do not understand AI’s limitations (such as bias, misinformation, or overgeneralization) or mitigation, AI can make your application look similar to everyone else’s. Aralia has shared a series of articles on how high school students can use AI properly and responsibly; you can explore them to build up on your knowledge and skills in effective AI usage.
The role of AI in U.S. college admissions is steadily expanding, both in the US and globally. Nevertheless, final admissions decisions should still rely on human judgment. Rather than focusing on AI’s role in assessing applications, students planning to study in the US should focus on developing an authentic, in-depth application that clearly brings out their abilities, personality, and academic path.
Read more:
8. Use AI the Right Way to Strengthen Your College Application
Want to learn how to use AI safely, ethically, and effectively in writing? Join Aralia’s Responsible Use of AI in Academic and English Writing course to master smart strategies that protect your privacy while enhancing your writing skills.
Responsible Use of AI in Academic and English Writing
This Responsible Use of AI in Academic and English Writing course is designed to teach students how to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their academic and English writing processes responsibly, effectively, and ethically.
