Generative AI’s Impact on College Admissions Policies

Duke University, a prestigious private university in the United States, announced that it would not assign scores to essays when evaluating applicants (Knox, 2024.02.21). The rationale behind this decision was that the essays could not be trusted, as some students utilize AI to write them. Given that the essay has been a core evaluation component fundamentally required by all universities in the U.S. college admissions process, this decision by Duke University can be considered a highly significant shift.

At the core of this transformation lies Generative AI (Gen-AI), represented by ChatGPT. The U.S. education system has been thrown into confusion by generative AI, which is more creative and writes better than humans. Consequently, universities’ responses have also become complex. A survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed in September 2023 clearly demonstrates this shift. According to the results, 70% of admissions officers are using AI to review recommendation letters and transcripts, 60% are using it to review personal essays, and 80% of universities responded that they plan to introduce AI into their admissions process for the 2024 academic year (Zahra, 2024.10.11).

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Pennsylvania are going a step further, developing a new tool that utilizes AI to analyze applicants’ core qualities, such as leadership and perseverance, from their admission essays (Chandna, 2024.02.23). Although it is unconfirmed whether this tool will actually be implemented, it is expected that universities will focus more on developing admission evaluation systems utilizing generative AI in the future.

In the United States, there is an integrated college application platform called the Common App (www.commonapp.org). Operated by a non-profit organization, this system currently involves over 1,000 universities, allowing students to apply to multiple institutions simultaneously through a single platform. Interestingly, the guidelines for 2025 applicants specified on the Common App do not mention the use of generative AI. If the essay is a crucial factor determining admission, it seems natural to prohibit the use of generative AI and require applicants to write purely based on their own abilities. Then why are universities not imposing such restrictions?

The answer to this question can be found in the reality of U.S. college admissions. It is often said that there is no private education in the United States, but the situation for prestigious private universities is not significantly different from that in South Korea. The U.S. college admissions system is by no means a level playing field, and most benefits, such as paid admissions consulting and SAT tutoring are concentrated among wealthy students. In this context, if anyone can obtain a private tutor and admissions consultant for a mere expense of $20 per month, wouldn’t this be an excellent tool for achieving the democratization of education? I believe the reason for not completely banning the use of generative AI in college admissions is that its application is a change carrying significant meaning from the perspective of equal educational opportunity, beyond mere technological advancement.