In 2024, Duke University announced that it would no longer assign a numerical value to undergraduate college admissions essays when scoring an applicant. While the university would still ask students to submit essays, they couldn’t be seen as an accurate reflection of writing ability. “They are not given a numerical rating, but considered as we think holistically about a candidate as a potential member of the Duke community,” Dean of undergraduate admissions Christoph Guttentag told the Duke Chronicle.
The personal-essay component of the college application has long served as a method to better understand a student’s interests, desires and motivations beyond their quantifiable achievements, and was “valuable in helping to identify competitive applicants,” according to Guttentag. But generative artificial intelligence has diminished the value of these essays. “It’s the fastest growth that we’ve seen of any platform and any kind of new technology and AI is not slowing down,” explains Dr. Asim Ali, the executive director of Teaching and Learning Innovation at Auburn University.
Over the last year, an increasing number of students have begun using platforms like ChatGPT and Caktus.ai to help complete their classwork. A recent survey found that ChatGPT was landing more and more high school kids in the principal’s office for plagiarism and academic dishonesty. But the same pattern has emerged in college admissions—allowing applicants to subcontract the writing process.
Read more at The Nation.
