Students applying to college are told they cannot use artificial intelligence tools to write their essays or personal statements. It is therefore a striking shift that some United States colleges are now using AI to read and score them. What began as scattered experimentation is quietly turning into a significant change in how admissions offices review, sort and interpret thousands of applications.AI tools are being introduced across several stages of the admissions process, according to admissions directors interviewed by the Associated Press (AP). Higher education has become one of the latest sectors where AI is taking on tasks that once required human judgement, even though colleges remain cautious in acknowledging how widespread these tools have become.Some institutions are incorporating AI into their evaluation process with little public visibility. Others are highlighting the potential for faster reviews, fewer administrative errors and earlier decisions for applicants. For students moving through the already opaque admissions system, this shift marks a new layer of assessment, one that is not always visible from the outside.
AI as the first reader
Virginia Tech is introducing an AI powered essay reader this year. The university told AP that it expects to release decisions a month earlier than usual because the AI tool can process tens of thousands of essays at speed. The institution emphasises that AI is not making admissions decisions, but it is now one of two readers assessing the four short-answer essays that applicants submit.Human readers at Virginia Tech previously scored each essay. Under the new system, AI provides one of those scores. A second human reader intervenes only if the scores diverge significantly. The university’s vice provost for enrolment management, Juan Espinoza, said AI brings consistency, noting that the tool does not experience fatigue or variation in attention, AP reports.The pressure to experiment with automation has grown as applications rise. After standardised test scores became optional, the volume at many colleges surged. Virginia Tech received more than 57,000 applications last year for 7,000 places in the freshman class. Even with 200 essay readers, the university struggled to keep pace.The new tool can scan approximately 250,000 essays in under an hour, compared with the two minutes a human reader typically spends on each one. The university told AP that this change could save thousands of working hours.
Using AI to verify student work
Other colleges are experimenting with AI for a different purpose. The California Institute of Technology is introducing a system that tests whether students can explain the research work they submit. Students record AI generated interviews that are later reviewed by faculty members. Admissions director Ashley Pallie told AP that the tool helps assess whether applicants can speak about their work with understanding and interest.Selective institutions report an increase in highly polished application materials, often prepared with professional consultants. AI is becoming a tool to verify authenticity as much as to speed up processing.
Concerns about fairness and transparency
The increasing use of AI has drawn concern from professionals who oversee admissions ethics. Ruby Bhattacharya, who chairs the Admission Practices Committee at the National Association for College Admission Counselling, told AP that colleges must ensure AI is used in ways that align with principles of transparency, fairness and respect for student dignity.Some institutions have already faced public criticism. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was met with negative reactions from students and parents after its student newspaper reported that AI was being used to analyse grammar and writing style in essays. After the backlash, the university updated its website to clarify that AI generates data points but human readers make the final decision.Admissions offices are aware of the sensitivity. Virginia Tech told APthat several universities have contacted the institution to observe its rollout but are hesitant to introduce similar tools until they see public response.
Beyond essays: AI enters the back office
AI is also beginning to handle tasks that lie behind the scenes of admissions. Georgia Tech is rolling out an AI tool to review transfer student transcripts, replacing the laborious practice of staff entering course information manually. The institution told AP that this will shorten wait times and reduce errors, with plans to extend the system to high school transcripts.The university is also testing tools that identify students who qualify for federal Pell Grants but may have missed the opportunity. Similarly, Stony Brook University in New York is using artificial intelligence to summarise essays and letters of recommendation so that counsellors can identify contextual details that may be important, such as family responsibilities or health issues.Admissions experts told AP that AI summaries of transcripts, extracurricular activities and recommendation letters could help human readers see patterns and stories that may otherwise be lost in volume. Emily Pacheco, founder of the association’s special interest group for AI and admission, said the most effective approach today is a partnership between humans and AI. She added that the future is less certain, noting that artificial intelligence may eventually take on larger roles in decision-making.
A turning point with long-term implications
The current moment represents a quiet turning point in US admissions. AI is not yet making decisions, but it is increasingly shaping the foundation on which those decisions rest. Students are entering a system where their stories may first be interpreted by a model, where authenticity may be checked by an automated interview and where human attention is partly replaced by speed and scale.Colleges argue these changes make the process faster and more accurate. Critics point to the risk of hidden biases, reduced transparency and a widening distance between applicants and the people evaluating them. Students may not feel the impact immediately, but the tools being introduced today will shape how future applicants are seen, sorted and understood.The challenge now is not only whether AI can help colleges. It is whether the system that emerges remains fair, comprehensible and recognisable to the students who must pass through it.
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