RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The month of December is a major milestone for high school seniors who make the decision to start applying for college.
The college admissions application process is changing thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). Some universities are starting to incorporate the tool in the application screening process.
“I’m sure nowadays every single system they implement somewhere,” said NC State junior Vinay Sadhwani.
“I think the people should actually read it. That’s what they’re being paid to do,” Jackson Goodrich tells ABC11.
As students react to AI being used in the admissions review process, colleges are looking for ways to make the process more efficient.
College Admissions Counselors say that with students applying to more schools each year, everyone’s looking to crack the college admissions code.
“I think families are definitely worried. There’s so much at stake, especially since students have been working so hard for four years of high school. They have been studying and taking their SATs and challenging courses and activities. And this could be a barrier,” said Colleen Paparella, DC College Counseling.
ABC11 checked with universities in the Triangle
NC State University (NCSU) says it received more than 49,000 applications for the 2025 freshman class.
“At NC State, we have a holistic review, and it’s important to us to really understand the context that the student is coming from,” said Don Hunt, Senior Vice Provost of Enrollment Management and Services and NC State University. Hunt says NC STATE USES AI to summarize key data from the person’s application and transcript; then that person reads the essay and reviews the application in totality.
Leaders say national organizations are having discussions around the use AI in admissions, especially when it comes to guardrails.
“What about the efficacy of using a, what about the bias, potential transparency and how do we come together collectively?,” said Hunt.
UNC-Chapel Hill (UNC) shares on its website that the university uses AI programs to provide data points about the students’ common application essay and their school transcripts. Every application for admission to Carolina is evaluated comprehensively by trained human application evaluators and the final decision is made by a member of the admissions committee.
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) tells ABC 1 the university does not use AI tools at any point in the admissions process.
Experts say that while AI may be part of certain schools’ review process, applicants should stay clear.
“I would say ask the high school counselor and always follow the directions. Just stay away from using AI, you know, any kind of AI program to create written work because the more this comes up, the colleges will be able to tell that kids are using it and even though the kids think they won’t,” Paparella says.
Some students believe every application should be reviewed by a person.
“There is a person behind every story, every GPA, every number. I think it’s important that you get the whole picture of who you are accepting,” said Sadwani.
Virginia Tech article: Virginia Tech updates undergraduate admissions process | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech
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