Can ChatGPT Write a University Admission Essay?

A university admission essay – also called a personal statement – is a document that you’ll need to compile when applying to a university. Its aim is to reflect your unique background and motivation for applying to a course at your chosen university. Since this document is highly personal, potentially influencing your future studies and career, it obviously cannot (and should not) be written by ChatGPT. However, you can still use ChatGPT as a tool when writing a university admission essay to boost its success. In this blog, we explain why you want to avoid using ChatGPT to write this essay and provide some tips for using ChatGPT as an aid instead.    

Why ChatGPT should not write your university admission essay?

Using ChatGPT to write your university admission essay would undermine the authenticity and personal connection sought by admissions committees. Essays written by AI often lack the unique voice, personal experiences, and genuine reflections that make applications stand out. ChatGPT-written essays may also come across as overly generic. The admissions essay is your opportunity to present yourself – something only you can truly express with the depth and sincerity it requires. However, AI can be definitely used as an aid while writing your admission essay. 

4 Tips on How to Use AI to Help You Write Your Personal Statement

Tip 1: Use ChatGPT to get pointers about writing a university admission essay

ChatGPT can give useful pointers to help you start writing a university admission essay. Its best feature is that it can answer all your questions about the writing process. Some questions you could ask are “What key elements should I include in my university admission essay?”, “What information do I need to convey about myself?”, and “How can I tailor my admission essay to a specific programme?” ChatGPT will provide detailed answers to these and similar questions, ensuring you have a clear understanding of what to include and how to present yourself. 

Tip 2: Use ChatGPT to find out what an effective university admission essay looks like

ChatGPT can give you examples of well-written university admission essays. Instruct it to produce successful admission essays for applying to a degree of your choice and read through them. By examining these examples, you will gain a clearer understanding of effective structure, language, and content. Additionally, you will identify common themes and strategies that resonate with admissions committees. This will not only inspire your writing but will help you see how to highlight your unique experiences and qualifications.

Tip 3: Use ChatGPT to discover what skills and qualities are required by your selected programme

With its extensive database of academic degrees and programmes, ChatGPT can advise you on the key skills and qualities sought after by your selected programme. Whether you are aiming for a degree in engineering, medicine, business, or humanities, ChatGPT can provide insights into the competencies and attributes that can strengthen your application. Ask questions like “What skills are most important for a psychology programme?” or “What qualities do top law schools look for in applicants?”. You will receive detailed answers that will help you tailor your essay to meet the expectations of your admission committee. 

Tip 4: Use ChatGPT to refine your university admission essay

After receiving sufficient information regarding admission essays, you may want to give it a go and try to write one yourself. Once you develop a draft, you can ask ChatGPT for opinions and advice. Just paste your essay into the chat and instruct ChatGPT to provide recommendations for content and language improvement. You will receive a series of tips on enhancing clarity, coherence, and impact. ChatGPT will help refine your language, suggest stronger phrasing, identify areas that need more detail, and ensure that your essay highlights your strengths and suitability for the programme. This iterative process will help you polish your admission essay, making it more compelling and professional.

Takeaway Message

ChatGPT can be a great tool when compiling university admission essays. Among some examples, you can use ChatGPT to get pointers, find out what an effective admission statement looks like, understand the skills and qualities required by your programme, and polish your essay. Still, although ChatGPT can provide important pointers, it cannot give a personal flavour to your statement. To communicate a real sense of what motivates you for the selected programme, you’ll need to write the statement yourself and use ChatGPT only as an aid.