Artificial intelligence will change college admissions. Chat How do universities verify applicants in the age of GPT?
Written by Lydia Saslova
Universities around the world are increasingly turning to AI detection tools and rethinking admissions policies. So, before potential students even think about their course essays and projects, credibility has become one of the trends that will determine admissions trends in 2026.
Today, the conversation about AI has shifted to the question of how universities will be able to tell the difference between a student’s own writing and that produced by a machine, and what will happen to the applicants who are found.
Students applying to universities around the world can easily fall into a trap of their own making. They utilize ChatGPT and other AI tools to create personal statements. This is because it is quick, easy, and virtually error-free. Then it will be rejected. Not because this essay is poorly written, but because it reads exactly like thousands of other essays.
According to a ScholarshipOwl survey of more than 12,000 high school and college students, 97% of Gen Z students have used AI tools to prepare for academics or college.
More than one in five students (21%) admitted to using AI to write essays for college and scholarship applications. 31% used it for academic writing, 35% for homework, 66% for general study, and 56% for exam preparation.
“Universities screen applications for AI-generated content and use their own detection software,” said Juliana Bazavruk, University Application Summary Consultant at Virtual International School. “But that’s just one layer. The real work is done when admissions officers read the essays themselves. They scrutinize tens of thousands of applications, and they can often tell right away whether they’re reading a student’s true voice or something a machine has put together.”
According to GradPilot, approximately 50% of admissions offices in the United States now use some form of AI to review essays, check for plagiarism, and process transcripts. The actual number is likely higher, as many institutions do not openly discuss their use of these tools.
One common red flag is an essay that is too polished. The grammar and structure may be perfect, but it still feels empty, impersonal, mundane, and lacking in real experience.
Another characteristic is the heavy use of clichés and formulaic language. Essays written by AI love to talk about leadership, world change, personal growth, and the importance of technology. These are not weak topics in themselves, but AI tends to present them without concrete examples or real personal insight.
Admissions officers also look out for repetitive sentence patterns, awkward phrasing, and stylistic quirks typical of large language models.
The UK has taken a particularly tough stance. All undergraduate applications go through UCAS, the central online portal that manages almost all undergraduate applications to UK universities. UCAS asks applicants to confirm that they are not using AI in any part of their application. Personal statements are reviewed using specialized software and false declarations can be rejected immediately. Universities often do not provide detailed instructions. The applicant already knows that they are violating the rules.
The US approach is somewhat more flexible, but the risks are just as high.
Broadly speaking, educational institutions are divided into two camps. Some people drew a hard line. Submitting an essay written in whole or in part by AI will be considered a fraudulent application and may result in your offer of admission being revoked.
Some people take a different approach. For example, Duke University introduced a new essay asking applicants to describe the circumstances in which they would choose to use or not use artificial intelligence and why. The point is not to exclude applicants. To find out how they think about technology, ethics, and decision-making.
Admissions teams are no longer just looking at documents.
A growing number of universities are introducing video submissions and interviews as additional elements of assessment. They want to see the person behind the application and see in real time whether the ideas expressed in the essay actually match what that person thinks and says.
Interviewers are trained to notice when applicants are having trouble talking about topics they could have written about themselves. Students who rely too much on AI often stumble at this point. Their speech becomes hesitant, vague, or inconsistent with the polished writing of their application.
Universities are not looking for perfect writing. They are looking for students.
Admissions officers are looking for individuals who will contribute to the academic conversation, participate in campus life, participate in research projects, and enrich the university community. A polished but empty essay won’t prove it.
However, the problem does not begin at the admissions stage.
More and more students are using AI to complete homework and assignments, and many educators argue that this is secretly undermining the learning process.
“This is particularly worrying,” says Alice Krylova, head of academic logistics and quality assurance at Virtual International School. “They use AI to do their homework, get good grades, but then fail the actual exam. In the exam hall, they have to think for themselves, write by hand, and take the exam under time pressure.”
Educators consistently say the same thing. The responsibility ultimately lies with the students and their families.
AI can help you research topics, check spelling, and more. However, asking a chatbot to write an essay or solve an assignment for you is something else entirely. After all, it doesn’t fool universities, it just fools students who come to the admissions process without the skills needed to succeed.
