Press Release

November 3, 2025

Kaplan Survey: Colleges Increasingly Clarify Rules on GenAI Use in Admissions Essays, But Majority Still Keep Applicants Guessing

Kaplan

Fort Lauderdale, FL (November 3, 2025) – A new survey from global education company Kaplan reveals that while an increasing number of colleges and universities have official policies on how applicants can use generative AI tools like ChatGPT in their admissions essays, most still do not—leaving students to navigate the gray area on their own.* The survey’s findings come at a time when schools continue to grapple with GenAI’s proper use in both admissions and scholarships.

The following insights are based on responses from more than 200 college admissions officers. Figures in parentheses represent results from Kaplan’s 2024 survey, allowing for year-over-year comparison:

Writing: Only 2 percent (2) of colleges say they have an official policy allowing prospective students to use GenAI to write their admissions essay; 30 percent (25) say their policy bans its use; and 68 percent (72) have no policy at all.
Brainstorming: 27 percent (18) of admissions officers say their college has an official policy allowing applicants to use GenAI programs to brainstorm essay ideas; 4 percent (4) have an official policy banning it; the remaining 69 percent (78) have no official policy in place.
Feedback: 21 percent (15) of admissions officers say their college has an official policy allowing GenAI programs to provide feedback for essays that applicants independently draft; 5 percent (5) have an official policy against its use; the remaining 73 percent (80) have no existing official policy.

As part of the survey, admissions officers said that GenAI can strip essays of their personal touch, producing generic content that doesn’t reflect a student’s authentic voice or unique experiences. They stressed that authentic essays are essential for showing a student’s true abilities. One admissions officer shared, “The writing oftentimes also doesn't match the writing of other sections which then prompts me to ask ‘How strong of a writer is this student?’”

The survey also found that 50 percent of admissions officers have an unfavorable attitude about the advent of GenAI use in college admissions essays; 26 percent have a neutral attitude about it; and only 14 percent have a favorable attitude. This finding in particular suggests that when more colleges do adopt official policies, they will likely lean towards more restricted usage.

Jason Bedford, senior vice president, Kaplan, said:

“It’s somewhat surprising that most colleges and universities, nearly three years after ChatGPT’s debut, continue to take a laissez-faire approach to how prospective students use GenAI in their admissions essays. While this gives college applicants a fair amount of discretion, it also creates uncertainty. Some students may overuse AI, while others may avoid it entirely for fear of crossing an unseen line. We expect to see more schools implement clear policies or guidance in the near future. Applicants deserve to understand expectations with GenAI and want to use these tools ethically and effectively while delivering a clear representation of their strengths and accomplishments to colleges and universities. It’s largely a matter of when, not if, schools will roll out clearer rules. We think applicants would be well served by this.”

*Admissions officers from 220 of the nation’s top national, regional and liberal arts colleges and universities – as compiled by U.S. News & World Report – were polled by e-mail between July and August 2025. Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number.

About Kaplan

Kaplan, Inc. is a global education company that helps individuals and institutions advance their goals in an ever-changing world. Our broad portfolio of solutions helps students and professionals further their education and careers, universities and educational institutions attract and support students, and businesses maximize employee recruitment, retention, and development. Stanley Kaplan founded our company in 1938 with a mission to expand educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Today, our thousands of employees working in 27 countries/regions continue Stanley’s mission as they serve about 1.3 million students and professionals, 16,000 corporate clients, and 2,700 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities worldwide. Kaplan is a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC). Learn more at kaplan.com.

Press Contact

Russell Schaffer
russell.schaffer@kaplan.com
X: @KaplanEdNews

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