rick clark Georgia Tech’s Vice President for Enrollment Management shared recent insights into artificial intelligence in the college application process. Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Georgia Tech
Rick Clark, Georgia Tech Vice President for Enrollment Management.
US News: Will helping parents use ChatGPT to “edit” their child’s essay hurt their chances of getting into school in 2026?
Rick Clark: ChatGPT and other large-scale language models (LLMs) can be useful editors because they are generally well-trained in grammar and syntax. So the short answer is “no”. Naturally, many parents want to help their students with the college application process, and leveraging artificial intelligence is certainly one way to do that.
The big question to ask, and the primary heuristic to consider as an ethical filter, is whether the student would seek equal help from a peer, counselor, or teacher. In this paradigm, grammar, spelling, idea generation, and repetition of phrasing are all considered. One thing parents should stop immediately about LLM is the “copy and paste” mode. Ultimately, artificially created content is as far from the goal of personalization as possible.
US News: How can students determine whether the use of artificial intelligence AI crosses the line from erasing the personal voice from a “brainstorming tool”?
Clark: We humans often have trouble getting started. Students frequently comment that they do not know which Common Application prompt to choose or which of several topics to write about. AI can reduce this friction and reduce stress, so I’m all for it.
The line between brainstorming and exploitation lies in “copy and paste,” which is basically plagiarism. I encourage my students to resist the temptation and use one device for brainstorming with AI and another device for writing. Ultimately, the university will ask you to write a sample to give voice to an application that was previously dominated by lines and boxes. LLM is the best place to consider if you want to create something highly individualized, specific and personal.
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US News: You suggest comparing your scores to the average of admitted students and considering test-optional schools. As more elite schools reinstate testing requirements in 2026, how should those with “borderline” scores decide where to send their results?
Clark: Imagine your application sitting on a stool supported by three or four legs. One leg is grades and curriculum rigor. One foot participates in extracurricular activities and makes an impact. One leg is an essay/short answer format. Test-optional allows you to determine if they are a good fit or if adding a fourth standardized test would strengthen your candidacy.
- Start by looking at the middle 50% range of previously successful applicants. If you are a “borderline” student (25th-50th quartile), take a closer look at your data.
- Check your university’s published admissions materials, websites, and common data sets for admission rates and the percentage of admitted and non-admitted classes.
- If your high school uses a platform like Scoir or Naviance, you can review previous years’ results and ask your counselor for insight based on that college’s specific scores.
- Finally, you should also seek advice from the admissions officer at that university.
US News: What’s one specific question parents should ask their child before clicking “send” to ensure the application truly reflects the student?
Clark: A college application can feel like a very long document. Details such as high school, family background, and what the student did outside of the classroom are required. But admissions officers don’t read it that way. Instead, they read them like stories. Each section is a chapter. There is a biography chapter, an academic chapter, an extracurricular chapter, and a narrative chapter. Before submitting, students triple- or quadruple-check spelling, grammar, etc. However, few students review their entire application before submitting.
- A good question for parents to ask is, “Does this tell the whole story about you?” You will be given the opportunity to read the entire application, just as the admissions officer would read it.
- Do the chapters complement each other?
- What is missing?
- Is there somewhere I can get more details or specifics?
