We wanted to write a blog post warning students of the downsides of using Chat GPT to write their college admission essays...but then we had a revelation. The old term "straight from the horse's mouth" came to mind: Why not have Chat GPT share why IT believes students shouldn't use AI for this purpose, and what the flaws are in using this as a work around to writing these essays. The resulting argument is pretty convincing and we couldn't agree more! Check out the response below:
As an AI language model, I am capable of generating text on a vast array of topics, including college admissions essays. However, while I can provide a considerable amount of information on the subject, I am not the right tool for students to use when writing their college admissions essays. In this blog post, I will discuss why students should not use ChatGPT to write their college admissions essays.
First and foremost, college admissions essays are personal statements that offer insight into the applicant's character, personality, goals, and aspirations. It is the applicant's unique voice, experiences, and perspectives that admissions officers are interested in learning about. Using an AI language model to write an admissions essay would make it impersonal, devoid of emotions, and generic. In other words, it would fail to convey the applicant's personality and authenticity, which are crucial components of a successful admissions essay.
Secondly, college admissions essays are an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their critical thinking and writing skills. Admissions officers are interested in seeing how applicants can communicate their ideas, tell a story, and articulate their thoughts clearly and coherently. Using an AI language model to write an admissions essay would not only deprive the applicant of the opportunity to showcase their writing skills but also demonstrate a lack of effort, creativity, and initiative on their part. Admissions officers can easily spot generic and formulaic essays, and such essays often fail to leave a lasting impression.
Thirdly, college admissions essays are meant to be original, unique, and reflective of the applicant's experiences and perspectives. While AI language models like ChatGPT can provide a vast amount of information on any topic, they lack the ability to create original ideas or perspectives. Using an AI language model to write an admissions essay would result in an essay that is based on pre-existing ideas and lacks the originality and creativity that admissions officers are looking for. Moreover, the over-reliance on AI language models can hinder the development of critical thinking skills and limit the applicant's ability to generate original ideas and perspectives.
Fourthly, using an AI language model to write an admissions essay raises ethical concerns. Admissions officers expect applicants to write their essays themselves, and using an AI language model would be considered cheating. It could result in the applicant being disqualified from the admissions process and even face disciplinary action from their school. Furthermore, using an AI language model to write an admissions essay undermines the integrity of the admissions process and devalues the hard work and efforts of applicants who have put in the time and effort to craft their essays.
Finally, college admissions essays are an opportunity for applicants to reflect on their experiences, goals, and aspirations. Writing an admissions essay can be a valuable learning experience that helps applicants gain a better understanding of themselves, their values, and their goals. It allows applicants to reflect on their achievements and challenges, and to consider how they can contribute to the college community. Using an AI language model to write an admissions essay would rob applicants of this valuable learning opportunity and prevent them from engaging in self-reflection and self-discovery.
In conclusion, while AI language models like ChatGPT can provide a vast amount of information on any topic, they are not the right tool for students to use when writing their college admissions essays. Admissions essays are meant to be personal statements that reflect the applicant's personality, critical thinking, writing skills, and originality. Using an AI language model to write an admissions essay would result in a generic, impersonal, and unoriginal essay that lacks authenticity and fails to leave a lasting impression on admissions officers. Moreover, it raises ethical concerns, undermines the integrity of the admissions process, and deprives applicants of a valuable learning opportunity. Therefore, students should not use ChatGPT to write their college admissions essays and should instead take the time to reflect on their experiences.