ChatGPT is all the buzz as Open AI released a model language technology in November 2022. This system has analyzed large amounts of digital text prior to 2021 in order to be able to generate content on demand. The College Sage has been reading article after article about the potential implications for higher education - not just admissions. One question kept lingering: can this new technology really write a quality college admissions essay or an academic paper that is due tomorrow morning?
We’ve been reading student college essays for the better part of a decade, so we know the level of depth, authenticity, and writing style of 18-year olds. The College Sage decided to try out the new bot with main essay prompts from the Common Application and a selection of supplemental admissions essay prompts from highly selective universities.
The result: WOW! Our results were amazingly fast with well-constructed and grammatically correct sentences. The essays generated - admittedly after a few revisions - generally provided first draft essays on par or better than the bulk of those produced by many students we have worked with. Diving in and trying this new platform made us recognize that the college admissions essay is undoubtedly going to change - our only question is how quickly will college admission requirements pivot?
In this blog, we:
Share some of our key findings and essay generations using ChatGPT
We try out one app focused on catching AI generated content
We consider changes that college admissions teams may turn to for the 2023-2024 application season opening up on August 1, 2023
We think through the longer term implications of this type of software for college admissions
Say What? The Two Minute College Main Essay
Although ChatGPT has advanced language generation capabilities, the software won’t “come up with an answer” to your college essays - but as with any new efficient technology, the better your inputs, the better the output. We found that through thoughtfully adding your specific information about your experiences, perspectives, and goals, students can pretty easily create a reasonable college essay.
Here is an example of ChatGPT’s answer to the Common Application Prompt #2:
Hi GPT! I’d like you to write a college application essay as if you were an 18-year-old high school senior from Charleston, South Carolina. She is a competitive swimmer and plays the piano. She has never achieved her personal goal of becoming a state swimming competition finalist. She is interested in a pre-med major. She has an older sibling who is a successful actress. Please make the essay a maximum of 650 words and write it in response to this prompt: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, I've always been a competitive swimmer and a dedicated pianist. As I approach my high school graduation, I am grateful for the challenges and obstacles I've faced, as they have helped me to grow and mature both as a person and an athlete.
One of the biggest challenges I faced was during my junior year of high school. I had always been a strong swimmer, but that year, I struggled to reach my personal goal of winning a state competition. Despite putting in countless hours of training and pushing myself to the limit, I came up just short of my goal.
At first, I was devastated. I felt like all my hard work had been for nothing, and I was tempted to give up on my dream. But after talking with my coaches and family, I realized that setbacks and obstacles are a natural part of the journey to success. The key, I learned, was to remain focused and positive and to use my disappointment as motivation to work even harder.
So, I redoubled my efforts, both in the pool and in the weight room. I also sought out new techniques and strategies to help me reach my goal, such as visualization and mindfulness exercises to help me stay focused and motivated. The results were incredible. With my new outlook and approach, I was able to swim faster and stronger than ever before, and the following year, I finally achieved my goal of winning a state championship.
Through this experience, I learned the importance of perseverance and resilience. I realized that setbacks and obstacles are a natural part of the journey to success, and that the key to overcoming them is to remain focused and positive. I also learned that it's okay to ask for help, and that seeking out new techniques and strategies can be incredibly beneficial.
In addition to my athletic pursuits, I have always had a passion for science and medicine. That's why I have decided to pursue a pre-med degree in college. My older sibling is a successful actress, and while I admire her talent and dedication, I have always felt a calling to help others in a more tangible way.
I believe that my experiences as a swimmer and pianist have prepared me well for a career in medicine. The discipline and hard work required to excel in these pursuits will serve me well in my future studies and career. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, and I am confident that I have the determination and resilience to overcome any obstacles that may arise.
In conclusion, the lessons I've learned from the challenges I've faced as a swimmer and pianist have been fundamental to my future success. I am grateful for these experiences and believe that they will serve me well in my future endeavors, both as a pre-med student and as a future physician.
OK so that may not be an Ivy league essay, but it’s a pretty standard middle-of-the-road essay for two minutes of effort! We found that the longer bot written essays are often verbose and not particularly concise. Admittedly, the writing is logical but maybe doesn’t quite reflect the voice or style of the author. No worries. From there, you can add details, change the tone, and change the word count. The best part is that you can ask for several revisions to be combined into one response.
Short Response Essays: Better Ideas Than You Could Have Dreamed Up?
We did find that the supplemental questions that required shorter responses had even better outputs. Here are a few examples:
Hi GPT! In Columbia’s admissions process, we value who you are as a unique individual, distinct from your goals and achievements. In the last words of this writing supplement, we would like you to reflect on a source of happiness. Help us get to know you further by describing the first thing that comes to mind when you consider what simply brings you joy. (35 words or fewer)
Bringing joy to others, exploring new places and trying new foods brings me happiness. Being surrounded by love and experiencing new adventures always puts a smile on my face.
Hi GPT! Please create a college course that all University of Virginia students would take, what would it be about and why? Make it funny and a minimum of 100 words.
Introducing the mandatory course for all University of Virginia students: "The Art of Sarcasm 101".
Why take this course, you ask? Well, because let's face it, Virginia is known for
its sarcastic, dry humor. And who wouldn't want to join in on the fun and
become a sarcastic genius? In this class, you'll learn the do's and don'ts of
sarcasm, how to deliver a perfectly timed eye roll, and the best comebacks for those who just don't get it.
You'll also learn the fine art of "UVA-style" sarcasm, which involves a dash
of southern charm, a hint of snark, and a whole lot of wit. Trust us, by the
end of the course, you'll be ready to take on the most challenging sarcastic opponents, like your professors, friends, and even your parents.
So, if you're ready to add some humor to your life and learn the true art of
sarcasm, sign up for "The Art of Sarcasm 101" today. Don't worry, we promise not to take ourselves too seriously.
Has ZeroGPT Already Outsmarted ChatGPT?
If it were only that easy, we suspect (too many) students might be easily tempted to go down the path of the AI created essays. So we started wondering - just how easy is it to get caught? Only a brief amount of research unearthed ZeroGPT. We took our very favorite ChatGPT short response and ran it through this new technology aimed at identifying AI written content. First, here’s the incredible ChatGPT essay written to the question below.
Hi GPT - Write a 500 word funny essay about my summer camp experience in the Adirondacks when I got bit by a black widow spider and ended up in the hospital for 6 weeks.
My Summer Camp Experience in the Adirondacks
It was supposed to be the best summer of my life, surrounded by nature in the beautiful Adirondacks. But things took a hilarious turn when I got bit by a black widow spider.
It all started when I was climbing up a tree to get a better view of the lake. I was feeling like a real adventurer, until I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I looked down and saw a little black spider scurrying away. Little did I know, it was one of the most venomous spiders in North America.
I was rushed to the hospital, where I spent the next six weeks. I was in for a wild ride. The hospital staff was constantly amused by my antics, from trying to catch the flies that kept buzzing around my room to making friends with all the nurses.
My favorite part of the hospital experience was the food. I was excited to try all the different Jell-O flavors and the amazing pudding cups. I felt like a kid again.
The highlight of my stay was when I convinced a nurse to let me borrow her stethoscope so I could listen to my heartbeat. I was having so much fun with it that I accidentally walked into the wrong room and listened to an old man's heartbeat. He was not amused, but I couldn't stop laughing.
Eventually, I was released from the hospital, and my summer camp experience was over. But I will never forget the hilarious and unforgettable six weeks I spent in the Adirondacks, getting bit by a black widow spider and spending time in the hospital.
Who knew that getting bit by a spider could lead to such a funny and memorable summer experience? I guess sometimes the best memories are the ones you never expected to have.
Wow! That’s probably better content than most summer campers ever would have come up with! But before you’re excitedly dropping that into your Common Application as a cool essay, you’ll want to consider this. A Princeton student has already out-smarted you - creating an app called GPTZero! We dropped that same essay into his app which aims to tell if an essay is AI or human written. According to the GPTZero test of the above essay, the low Perplexity Score of 29.15 and the low Burtiness Score of 14.975 means that:
Your text is likely to be written entirely by AI.
In comparison, we ran an actual college main essay that we know for sure was human written and written prior to 2021 through the GPTZero software test and received these results:
Average Perplexity Score of 155.639 and a Burtiness Score of 109.482 means that your text is likely to be written entirely by a human.
AI created college admissions content might be tempting, but in our view, it can also be easily caught. Will admission departments run essays through similar AI detection software? Can the Common Application platform add AI detection before an application is submitted and downloaded by colleges? These are some of the likely changes that need to occur if the college admissions essay is going to stand the test of new technology.
Testing ChatGPT Response to an Actual Historical Response
Finally, we asked ChatGPT a supplemental question that we know one of our own students had used before ChatGPT existed - to examine the response differences and see which resulted in the better essay. Wake Forest famously has asked for a top ten list for many years. So we put their prompt to our test. One answer below is human written and the other is a ChatGPT response. Which came first?
Question: Give us your top ten list of your favorite ESPN 30 for 30 episodes.
Answer 1:
1. "The U" - this one takes you back to the rise of the Miami Hurricanes football team and their cultural impact on the city.
2. "Once Brothers" - a touching story about the friendship between two NBA stars, Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic, and how their country's political situation tore them apart.
3. "The Fab Five" - a must-watch for all basketball fans, this one takes a deep dive into the iconic Michigan Wolverines recruiting class of 1991 and their impact on college basketball.
4. "Bernie and Ernie" - a fascinating story about Bernie Kosar and Ernie Green, two high school football stars from northeast Ohio and their journey to the NFL.
5. "Survive and Advance" - an inspiring tale of the 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack's NCAA Tournament run and the leadership of their coach, Jim Valvano.
6. "The Two Escobars" - a gripping story about the intertwined fates of Colombian soccer star Andres Escobar and drug lord Pablo Escobar.
7. "Silly Little Game" - a history of fantasy sports and how it has become a multi-billion dollar industry.
8. "Fantasyland" - a wild ride through the rise of daily fantasy sports and the players who made a fortune playing the game.
9. "You Don't Know Bo" - a captivating look at the life and career of one of the greatest athletes of all time, Bo Jackson.
10. "The Great Trade Robbery" - a story about the trade that sent Adrian Peterson from the Minnesota Vikings to the New Orleans Saints and changed the NFL forever.
OR
Answer 2:
1. You Don’t Know Bo
2. Fab Five
3. The U (Part 1/2)
4. Bad Boys
5. Everyone Hates Christian Laettner
6. The Magic Moment
7. Fantastic Lies
8. Survive and Advance
9. Broke
10. One and Not Done
What’s your guess? Answer 1 was written by ChatGPT and Answer 2 was the actual accepted student submission. We even put the test to the author himself! To which he replied - “Wow, I found three episodes I need to watch!” Yikes! This ChatGPT stuff is for real. Major college admissions essay changes must and will occur - the only question, in our opinion, is how fast.
The College Sage Does Not Condone Using ChatGPT for College Essays!
Before anyone thinks that The College Sage condones AI written essays, let us very clearly state that cheating in any form is a violation of our client contract, college admission policies, and mostly, personal integrity. It is important to remember that by signing your application, you pledge that it is your own work so using a language tool for AI-generated content is plagiarism. The essays and short answers are just a portion of your overall application portfolio and an opportunity for your personality to really shine. Why would you want to leave that to anyone other than yourself? Plus, as demonstrated above, there is already software created to catch AI written content - so lying is not a smart option to gaining college admittance.
In the same way that The College Sage does not write essays, the internet is allowable and often helpful for idea brainstorming but not essay writing. ChatGPT and other similar competitors that will follow are new technology platforms that we can probably somehow use to our advantage - without risking plagiarism! As an example, we asked ChatGPT the following question to help us brainstorm topics for the college essay.
Hi GPT! - What are some ideas to write about for this college essay? Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Here are some ideas that you can use as a basis for your college essay:
Overcoming a personal challenge or obstacle and the lessons learned from that experience
A cultural experience that broadened your perspective and changed your understanding of the world
A volunteer or community service project that impacted your personal growth and understanding of others
A mentor or teacher who inspired you to pursue a new interest or passion and helped you understand your strengths and weaknesses
A sudden realization or epiphany that challenged your beliefs and values, leading to a new understanding of yourself or others
A personal achievement or accomplishment that boosted your confidence and helped you recognize your potential
An event that challenged your assumptions and helped you understand the importance of empathy and compassion.
Interestingly, most of ChatGPT’s answers were the other common application prompts themselves!
All Said … Our Experience Confirms that the College Admissions Application is About to Radically Change!
Let’s think about why the college admissions essays even exist.
Colleges want to ensure that a prospective student has the ability to use critical reasoning skills and a strong enough grasp of the English language to be successful in their respective college curriculum.
Colleges also want to give students an opportunity to share their story, experiences and voice.
What students choose to share in this important marketing piece is telling in itself.
One alternative to the current essay situation may be to use more graded high school paper submissions to validate the writing skills while migrating from written word to an oral interview format to truly hear the student’s voice.
The application requirements have changed over the years and will continue to do so! In 2021, the SAT writing component was discontinued, and most colleges do not read the ACT timed writing component. More recently, about 50 of the 1000+ schools using the Common Application are requesting teacher graded academic papers as part of their process. We expect that number to grow.
Colleges know that the personal interview allows for students to share their skills and distinct personalities but they have been historically expensive to staff. Not only are they difficult to schedule and time intensive for admissions officers - they are for students too. Fortunately, we have seen colleges move aggressively from in-person to virtual options. Recorded videos are even more efficient. We suspect one of the biggest trends will be the addition of video submissions. For instance, Washington University in St. Louis offers high school seniors the option of a 15-20 minute interview as well as a 90-second recorded video. Wake Forest also offers a video submission in place of an interview. This medium favors extraverts but also can allow for an additional level of creativity. We anticipate that we could even see colleges move towards some of the workplace interview platforms that have become commonplace in recent years for applicant screening.
Another option for colleges is to adjust essay prompts - at least for the 2023/2024 application cycle - to focus application essay prompts more on current events. As we mentioned before, ChatGPT does not include text after 2021 so it cannot accurately generate a response to current topics.
As an example we asked ChatGPT a question about the new popular word game Wordle:
Hi GPT! The popular online word game wordle went from a personal gift to a viral sensation. What five letter word would you choose to start the game and why?
"SPOON" would be a great word to start the game as it is a common word that many people are familiar with, it's easy to visualize, and it has enough letters to allow for creative and diverse words to be created from it.
Here’s our follow-on ChatGPT request:
Hi GPT! Can you think of any other words that would help you guess?
Sure, here are a few more five-letter words that could be good to start with:
"CHALK" - Simple, common word with multiple meanings.
"TABLE" - A common household item that is easy to picture.
"HAPPY" - Positive word that can lead to many related words.
"ROUND" - A versatile word that can refer to shape, time, or action.
"BASIC" - Simple word that can lead to many related terms.
These are just a few examples, but the best word to start with will depend on the specific audience you're playing with and what type of words they are most likely to create.
ChatGPT clearly doesn’t have knowledge of this fun new phenomenon! If you play, you know that some of the most popular starting words are ADIEU, CRANE and SLATE.
Moving to current events would only be a short term solution as ChatGPT is only going to improve, especially with Microsoft’s commitment to invest $10 billion in Open AI. After just a few months, over 100 million users have actively engaged with this software. This is faster than TikTok and Instagram took to amass the same number of active users!
We also believe it makes sense for college application questions to perhaps solicit shorter responses that don’t tempt students down the ChatGPT funnel of plagiarism and then leave the teaching of writing to the college professors. Elon University has already been heading in that direction. Here are some of their supplemental questions: Name three songs from your perfect playlist. You are a superhero. What are your powers? (30 Words) What three emojis/GIFs do you use the most often? Why? (30 Words)
We also suspect that more and more colleges will take teaching writing into their own professors’ hands. As an example, all students at Wake Forest University must take a composition class in their first year with AP successful students taking a higher level writing course. The University also requires The First Year Seminar which allows students to develop their written and oral skills as well as enhance their critical thinking abilities. When Wake Forest faculty last reviewed their core curriculum requirements, the most consistent agreement was that student writing skills needed to be even further prioritized.
Brown University does not allow course credit with AP exams but it does offer placement credit in a number of academic departments. English, however, is not one of them! Students are required to take at least two semesters of English.
The College Sage Continues to Advocate for Massive Admissions Changes
The current admissions process is not appropriately student centered. It smacks of too many people trying to make money off increasingly anxiety-prone students. The equation of applications rising and acceptance rates falling isn’t a productive long-term solution. We - the collective WE - have got to get beyond college students as “big business” and begin to think more sanely about student mental health.
2023 may prove to be a watershed year for admission changes. Between ChatGPT calling into question human written essays, the pending decisions as to whether UNC and Harvard can consider race in college admissions, and increasing challenges of legacy admissions, we anticipate that the admissions process is likely to change - the only question is how quickly we will see the changes. More than ever, students and families will want to stay abreast of developing changes so contact thecollegesage.com for highlights, insights and anticipated adjustments!
And let’s go! Let’s put the student back into the center of college admissions. We hope and anticipate that perhaps upcoming changes and challenges will help interested parties to rethink the college application process with greater focus on equity, integrity, and ease.
(Fellow college and student enthusiast Ashley Blanchard contributed to this blog.)
