Distinctive

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D.

Perhaps you’ve heard of ChatGPT. Introduced in November 2022, it has been one of the greatest disruptions to our sense of selves as human beings in history. Its ability to use artificial intelligence (AI) to produce articulate and logical pieces of writing has thrown many people, especially professional writers, into an existential crisis. Aren’t we supposed to be the only entities on the planet capable of expressing ideas and writing them out? Teachers across the world are also now bracing themselves for an onslaught of inauthentic student work (though one Princeton student has supposedly created an app to counter cheaters), while I’m sure students are eagerly experimenting with its powers to figure out the best ways of using it to spend as little time as possible on their homework. 

Now that the dust has settled a little bit, I would like to consider ChatGPT within the realm of college admissions – not as the foe of the college essay, but rather as a tool for it. We have to be honest with ourselves. Students are going to use it whether we like it or not, so we have to think about how to use it well. The first is by recognizing its limitations. 

Its Limitations

In a recent article in InsideHigherEd, James Jump notes, “I found… [the] essays [produced by ChatGPT] to resemble cliché essays, with neither answering the prompt in a convincing way. They also didn’t sound like an essay a teenager would write, but rather an essay a teenager might write with major assistance and editing by an adult.” What he says is true. I took the idea of one of my senior’s personal statements, namely his relationship with Malcolm X and his writings, and put it into ChatGPT to see what it would generate. What came out was a very clear statement about being a Black male and how important The Autobiography of Malcolm X was in shaping his beliefs about himself. Yet… it never said specifically what those beliefs were. It didn’t recognize the impact that Malcolm X had on my student beyond his longest work. It lacked personality and specific details that make an essay stick with a reader. ChatGPT didn’t know how Malcolm X inspired my student to take action to increase minority voter participation. Frankly, it was a trite identity essay without much flavor.

But, what struck me more than the clichéd material was how that first draft was a lot better than some of the first draft essays I’ve received over the years. There was a strong structure. There was reflection on the topic and the “author’s” reaction. There was an introduction that prepared the reader for what followed and a conclusion that summarized the ideas presented. I was actually quite pleased with the framework ChatGPT created. 

Its Potential

This got me thinking. Since ChatGPT isn’t going away and students will use it whether or not we like it, perhaps students who struggle to write should use it to generate the first draft of their essays. Yes, you heard me right. No, I don’t think this is cheating (though it does cheat those students who, by using it, lose an opportunity to grow as writers). Now why do I say “for students who struggle to write?” Why not just say it’s for everyone? The reality is that students who know how to write go beyond the formulaic structure of the personal essay. They surprise you with their creativity, word choice, details, flow, personality, and lessons learned. They can insert humor or emotion. Those who struggle to write struggle mightily to get to that point, because of the paralysis caused by the flashing cursor on their blank screen. ChatGPT takes away that angst, and to be fair, it seems to take on the work we college consultants sometimes take on when we sit with students, ask them questions, and then write down their responses to get an essay off the ground (though we can keep a student’s voice and personality intact in the process). In a sense, ChatGPT offers an antidote to writer’s block! Once the first draft is on the page, struggling writers can at least overlay personal details, change words to fit their voice (which will actually be difficult, since so many students just accept something if it’s written well – a big mistake), and develop a message that reflects their own lived experience. The essay will never be as good as one written by strong writers who have put in the good effort, but at least it won’t be bad either! If you are that kind of student who can’t adjust other people’s words to fit your own, however, ChatGPT is probably best left untouched. College admissions officers will pick up on the overly clean writing, and the generic content will turn them off to your story. 

In a world where technology is going to constantly push us to realign our expectations and values (like the calculator – people used to think that using one was cheating at math), ChatGPT is just the beginning of a revolution where machines are going to be able to do what we thought only humans could. This will simply change the way we measure ourselves and ideally push us to improve our skills beyond those of machines, and the college essay is a great place to start learning how to do that. 

P.S. After writing this blog post, I asked ChatGPT to write its own version. I inputted, “Explain why using ChatGPT for the first draft of a college essay is good for some students, and not others.” What it produced is not so bad, though decidedly different from mine!

ChatGPT is a powerful language model that can help students write their college essays quickly and efficiently. However, it is important to note that while ChatGPT may be a good tool for some students, it may not be the best option for others.

One of the main benefits of using ChatGPT to write a college essay is that it can save students a lot of time. ChatGPT can generate a first draft of an essay in a matter of minutes, allowing students to spend more time editing and refining their work. Additionally, ChatGPT can help students generate ideas and structure their essays, which can be especially useful for students who struggle with organization or getting started on a writing project.

However, there are also some downsides to using ChatGPT to write a college essay. One of the main drawbacks is that the language model may not always produce high-quality writing. While ChatGPT can generate coherent and grammatically correct sentences, it may not always produce writing that is engaging or compelling. Additionally, ChatGPT may not always understand the nuances of a particular topic or assignment, which can result in an essay that doesn’t fully address the prompt or is off-topic.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, even though ChatGPT can write content, it does not have the ability to understand the context or the human emotions and thoughts that are important in college essays. So, as a result, the essay may lack a personal touch that is often expected and valued by college admission officers.

Another point to consider is that using ChatGPT to write a college essay may not be the best option for students who have a hard time separating their own writing style from the model’s. It’s crucial for the student to make sure that the essay is written in their own voice and that it reflects their unique perspective and experiences.

In conclusion, ChatGPT can be a useful tool for some students when writing a college essay. It can save time, generate ideas, and help with organization. However, it may not always produce high-quality writing, and it may not always understand the nuances of a particular topic or assignment. Furthermore, using a language model like ChatGPT may not be the best option for students who have a hard time separating their own writing style from the model’s. It’s essential for students to carefully consider the pros and cons of using ChatGPT before deciding whether or not to use it for their college essays.