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Writing College Admissions Essays in the Age of AI

Julie Brown Casey

Many busy college-bound seniors will be tempted to use AI to draft their college admissions essays. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might sound like a good idea: I’ll just use ChatGPT to brainstorm. I’ll just use Claude to help me draft an outline. But using AI to create any part of your college application essays will immediately short-circuit the one thing admissions readers are looking for: your unique perspective on the world that arises from your unique lived experience.

It’s important to remember that your essay is only one of thousands that an admissions reader will read during an application season. After reading many essays back-to-back, admissions readers can easily recognize the hallmark patterns and themes that signal AI use. When they sense that an essay was generated using AI, they may simply stop reading that entire application, moving it to the “do not admit” list.

The personal statement and supplemental essays are the only chance you have to share your personality, inner thought processes, feelings, core values, and unique perspectives with the people who evaluate your college application.

The choice to use AI-generated prose and content for such an important essay shows readers that the writer either does not care enough to put forth sincere effort for this particular university’s admissions process, or that the writer lacks good judgment. A reliance on AI will show readers that the writer is not the kind of student who cares to invest time and effort in difficult intellectual tasks.

To avoid this fate, the best way to begin your college admissions essays is offline. Print out the prompt, grab a notebook and something to write with, and get comfy. Stepping away from the blank screen will free you of the pressure to type out clear prose and will give you the luxury of time to think, reflect, and be creative — none of which AI can do for you.

Getting started on a draft is arguably the most difficult moment in writing. Slowing down to listen to yourself first will ultimately result in better essays. Take time before you start writing to think about what you want to say. Read the prompt, then jot down your first thought. This might be a list of memorable and transformative experiences you have had that relate to the topic. It could be a list of skills and character traits you’re proud of and that you’d want to share with admissions readers.

If you can get comfortable with this initial brainstorming process, away from screens and the temptation to outsource your thinking to AI, your future essay will be much easier to write. It will be built on the foundation of self-expression that can only come from your own imagination.

Later, when you’re ready to write, bring these notes with you as you open your computer screen. Use your own notes, not AI, as the reference guide when it’s time to turn ideas into sentences. Drafts don’t have to be perfect — but they do have to be written in your own words. Drafts that begin in this way eventually become essays that admissions readers will truly enjoy reading, since they reflect your own original thinking.

When it’s time to revise your first draft, that’s where you can bring in others to help! Whether it’s a friend, a teacher, or a writing coach, you can share your ideas with others and talk about how your draft sounds. Sharing your own ideas will help you refine your draft so that it genuinely sounds like you. Admissions readers love an original essay, one that stands out from all the AI-generated prose floating across their screens. When they see your unique qualities shining through, they’ll be much more likely to move your application to the “admit” list.

My Perspective and Approach

Julie Brown Casey

As you decide whether or not you want to work with me, I wanted to share with you my perspectives and approaches.

On my coaching business:

I started this coaching and tutoring business in 2022 to meet the need that arose during the pandemic, when learning was suddenly remote, teachers and counselors were often overwhelmed, parents were working from home, and students were largely on their own. After helping friends and neighbors at their request, I realized that my perspectives and approaches were unique as both a college instructor and a parent of teenagers. I discovered that I could help high-school students, their parents, and college students in ways that transcended the traditional avenues available to them, on a more personal level, and at a more affordable cost than online tutors or college admissions coaching companies.

On my University of Texas affiliation:

For the sake of full transparency, I must note that while I teach and work at the University of Texas at Austin, I am in no way connected to admissions. Though I have served as an application reader for scholarship programs in the past, I have no influence or connections that would give my clients an advantage in acceptance. Doing so is not only beyond the scope of my work at UT, it is beyond the scope of my personal ethics. My coaching is entirely separate and independent from my current job.

With that said, I do have unique perspectives to draw upon from my time at UT, not only about the institution itself, but about what strategies and skill successful students share. Having been a student there, as well as an instructor and program administrator, I know how to navigate the system and can advise others to meaningfully engage with this large university.

On the college application process:

As a college instructor and undergraduate program director, I have a strong sense what colleges are looking for in their applicants, and what kinds of talents and skills will be welcomed in the classroom. When I used to serve on the selection committee for a scholarship program, I read through hundreds of resumes and essays. That past experience helped me identify what makes an applicant stand out on paper. Finally, as a parent of two teenage daughters — who each went through the application process successfully — I know what approaches help and which approaches do not. Writing essays and resumes are not just academic tasks to check off an application list, but important opportunities for self-reflection.

On coaching writers:

As a freelance writer myself, I love watching someone connect with their own voice and discover how to translate their ideas into words. The feeling of empowerment is transformative! While I’ve taught hundreds of students in the classroom and graded literally thousands of essays, my favorite part of writing instruction is the one-on-one conversations I have with students about their emerging work. Context is key! I know the questions to ask to identify where they might be stuck. I can pinpoint exactly what area of their writing needs support. Using modeling and back-and-forth editing, I can show them examples and suggest edits for making their writing better reflect their own viewpoints. Classroom teachers often lack the time for this one-on-one guidance, and AI tools like ChatGPT make everyone sound the same. What you learn about yourself as a writer in personalized coaching sessions is foundational and will stay with you for the rest of your academic career.

On tackling tough academic subjects:

As a seasoned educator with more than 20 years of experience teaching college freshmen, I have a particular gift for helping students approach complex topics in a way that leads to clarity. My academic background is interdisciplinary, with concentrations in English & Rhetoric, History, and the Social Sciences and a special emphasis on critical thinking, qualitative analysis methods, and writing. I help students identify exactly what is confusing them and why, and I show them specific strategies for breaking down amorphous/intimidating content into smaller, more manageable parts. Then I work with them to master those parts, encouraging them to practice the skills on a small scale that they can then apply to more complex problems.

“Do the next right thing” is the guiding principle, and “Start with what you know.” Not only do students find that they understand the subject matter with more mastery and in more depth, their self-confidence grows as they practice these techniques. Then when they look at a long piece of reading thick with historical details, or an essay prompt that asks them to “compare and contrast” two characters from a classic novel, they know where to start and can trust themselves to take it step-by-step rather than feel too overwhelmed or intimidated to begin. “Progress, not perfection” is the key to this approach.

On creativity and empowerment:

No matter what challenge I’m helping my clients navigate, my goal is to help them see creative solutions and feel empowered to pursue them. I can point out connections, clear up confusion, and coach them on what the next best step is for them. Whether that’s targeted help on one essay or one assignment, or a more sustained support with a longer-term goal or project, I will work to spark those “aha” moments for you, so you can find the clarity you need to succeed.