Ivy Link Founder & WaPo Put ChatGPT to the Test

Since the release of ChatGPT last year, its use in admissions essays has been a hot topic. We’ve written about it before. Ivy Link’s founder, Adam Nguyen, recently sat down with The Washington Post to review a college admissions essay created by AI. We highly recommend checking out the article. It has an interactive feature that allows you to see the prompt, the generated essay, as well as the annotations made by Nguyen in the actual essay. It’s pretty innovative!

As predicted, the AI generated essay did not impress. According to Nguyen, “The essay is such a mediocre essay that it would not help the candidate’s application or chances…In fact, it would probably diminish it.” The fact that the essay wouldn’t increase the applicant’s chances is not a surprise, as we’ve said before. But what is important to note is that the essay was so mediocre that it would actually hurt the applicant’s chances of admission. Remember, college admissions officers are looking for depth, self-reflection, and self-awareness in an admissions essay. At this point, AI is simply not capable of these quintessentially human exercises. 

To reiterate, AI shouldn’t be used to generate an admissions essay. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be used at all in the writing process. Use ChatGPT to help brainstorm ideas. Or, use it to help check for spelling and grammar mistakes. When used with caution and a critical eye, AI can be an effective tool when composing an essay. It just can’t be the composer.

If you or your student will be applying to college in the next cycle, reach out to Ivy Link today to begin planning. In addition to helping with the applications, Ivy Link advisors work one-on-one with students to craft bespoke admissions strategies that make them stand out and gain admission to Ivy League and other elite colleges. For more information, you can also visit our Admissions page.