Lesson 1211 of 1570
AI for College Essays: The Line Common App Won't Tell You About
Common App banned 'AI-generated' essays in 2024 but allows AI feedback — knowing the difference saves your application.
Lesson map
What this lesson covers
Learning path
The main moves in order
- 1The big idea
- 2college essay
- 3Common App
- 4AI assistance
Concept cluster
Terms to connect while reading
Section 1
The big idea
Stanford, MIT, and Common App all updated policies in 2025: AI as editor = okay, AI as ghostwriter = rescinded admission. The line is who's typing.
Some examples
- Allowed: 'ChatGPT, what's weak about this paragraph?'
- Banned: 'ChatGPT, write me a 650-word essay about resilience'
- Gray zone: AI brainstorming bullet points you then write up
- Some schools (Caltech) require disclosure of any AI use
Try it!
Take a paragraph you wrote. Ask Claude 'What questions would a Yale reader have about this?' and rewrite based on the questions, not Claude's answers.
Key terms in this lesson
End-of-lesson quiz
Check what stuck
15 questions · Score saves to your progress.
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