Brown, Caltech and Georgia Tech each set their own AI rules for applicants on top of the Common App Fraud Policy.
The Common App Fraud Policy counts it as fraud to intentionally present the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform as your own original work. In the guides we publish here at Chalkbox, we examine academic policies so students know the boundaries before working on assignments or applications. Under the Common App Fraud Policy, the essay itself must be your writing. Lighter help, such as brainstorming or a grammar check, is set college by college, from Brown's near-ban to Georgia Tech's advice to "brainstorm, edit, and refine" your ideas.
The Common App defines fraud as "an intent to deceive, mislead, or otherwise perpetuate misinformation upon a Common App member regarding the candidacy of a student-applicant for admission." The Fraud Policy lists concrete examples of fraudulent behavior. These examples include:
Every applicant signs an affirmation before submitting an application. The Common App Application Affirmations require you to confirm the following statement: "I certify that all information submitted in the admission process ... is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented." While the affirmation text itself does not name artificial intelligence directly, the Common App Terms of Use clarify that the fraud policy applies to all users. Submitting AI-written text as your own work would make the "my own work" part of that statement false. For school assignments, see our guide on whether using AI is cheating.
Individual institutions establish their own admissions rules alongside the baseline Common App fraud policy. The Common App Fraud Policy covers passing off AI output as your own work, and each college decides whether applicants may use AI for brainstorming or grammar checks. Admissions offices publish guidelines that span from strict bans to permissive suggestions.
Brown University enforces a strict standard. Brown quotes the Common App fraud definition directly and states that "the use of artificial intelligence by an applicant is not permitted under any circumstances in conjunction with application content." Brown allows one specific exception: applicants may use artificial intelligence to assist with basic spelling and grammar review in the same manner as any proofreading tool, provided the content remains entirely the applicant's own work.
Caltech established guidelines for the Fall 2027 application cycle through its Undergraduate Faculty Admissions and Graduate Studies committees. Caltech forbids copying and pasting text from an AI generator, relying on AI content to outline or draft an essay, replacing your unique voice with AI content, or translating an essay written in another language. Conversely, Caltech permits applicants to use tools like Grammarly or Microsoft Editor for grammar and spelling checks on completed drafts, as well as generating questions to help kick start brainstorming.
The Georgia Institute of Technology takes a permissive stance. Georgia Tech notes that artificial intelligence "could be a helpful collaborator, particularly when you do not have access to other assistance to help you complete your application." Georgia Tech tells applicants to use AI to brainstorm, edit, and refine their ideas. It also says your ultimate submission "should be your own" and that you should not copy and paste content you did not create. To plan your essay's structure without AI, our guide on how to write a thesis statement shows how to shape your main point yourself.
| College | Grammar and Spelling Help | Brainstorming | Outlining or Drafting | Pasting AI Text | Stated Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University | Allowed (basic proofreading only) | Not permitted | Not permitted | Not permitted | Not stated |
| Caltech | Allowed (on completed essays) | Allowed (questions and exercises) | Forbidden | Forbidden | May result in rescission of admission |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Allowed (edit and refine ideas) | Allowed (generate ideas) | Not stated | Forbidden | Not stated |
Caltech recommends a simple test for any applicant weighing whether an AI prompt crosses an ethical line. The university instructs students to ask whether it would be ethical to have a trusted adult perform the exact same task you are asking of ChatGPT. This working rule keeps the ownership of the writing in the applicant's hands.
If you ask a parent, teacher, or counselor to proofread a finished essay, they can point out misspelled words, comma splices, or awkward phrasing. Brown and Caltech both allow grammar and spelling review. However, if you ask that same adult to draft your introductory paragraph, build your argument outline, or rephrase your story in their own voice, the essay ceases to be your work. The application then reflects someone else's thinking.
Applying that rule to software clarifies ambiguous situations. Asking software to suggest a few reflective questions about an extracurricular activity mirrors asking a teacher for brainstorming ideas. Conversely, asking software to take those answers and write a supplemental essay for you violates the standard. When you need mechanical editing help on your own writing, see our guide to grammar checkers for students.
The Common App does not state that it scans admissions essays with automated AI-detection software. The Common App Fraud Policy, Terms of Use, and Application Affirmations contain no mention of automated text scanners or centralized plagiarism detectors. A search of commonapp.org and its support sites found no page that describes scanning essays for AI.
The Common App Fraud Policy says Common App acts "When Common App identifies or receives a report of alleged Fraud from any Reporting Individual or Reporting Member." It also says Common App does not require members to report every instance of alleged fraud, and that members may report "consistent with the member's own internal fraud detection protocols." For how high school teachers review student writing, see our guide on how teachers detect AI.
When a formal fraud report occurs, the Fraud Policy sets out this process:
The Common App Application Affirmations say an applicant "may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions," including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, if the certified information is false. Caltech warns that failure to follow its ethical guidelines may result in the rescission of an admission offer.
If a college allows AI help, keep AI away from the sentences of your essay. If a college allows brainstorming help, use AI only to ask you questions about your own experiences. You can ask an AI tool to prompt you with unexpected interview questions about your favorite project, and then answer those questions aloud or in a private journal.
Never allow software to draft or revise full sentences of your personal statement. Write every paragraph in a word processor that records version history, such as Google Docs. If anyone questions whether you wrote your essay, a version history of your drafts and edits gives you a record of your work. Applicants who face false flags in academic settings can read our review of what to do when falsely accused of using AI.
Keep your final review focused on mechanics. If an institution permits grammar assistance, use standard spell-check or basic proofreading software to catch typos in your final draft. Do not accept automated suggestions that rewrite entire paragraphs to alter your tone. Caltech lists "Replacing your unique voice and tone with AI generated content" as an unethical use.
Certain applicants should avoid using artificial intelligence tools at any stage of their college preparation. If Brown is on your list, Brown does not permit AI use with application content except spelling and grammar review, so write and edit everything else on your own.
This technology is also wrong for students who struggle to separate conceptual ideas from suggested text. If you find yourself borrowing phrases, metaphors, or structural transitions from computer outputs, step away from the software entirely. Rely on a notebook, a blank document, and feedback from your school counselor.
Before writing your application essays this week, look up the admissions policy for every college on your list.
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Not for the writing itself. The Common App Fraud Policy counts it as fraud to intentionally present the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence platform as your own original work. You must write every sentence of your essay yourself, though some member colleges permit light brainstorming or basic proofreading.
Common App sends you a written notice with ten business days to appeal. Common App may also tell the colleges on your My Colleges List your name and its findings. The Application Affirmations say you may be subject to disciplinary actions including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree if what you certified is false.
No, the Common App does not state that it runs AI-detection software on essays. The Fraud Policy explains that Common App acts when it identifies or receives reports of alleged fraud from individuals or member colleges.
At some colleges, yes, so check each college's own policy before you use it. Brown University permits basic proofreading with artificial intelligence, and Caltech explicitly allows tools like Grammarly or Microsoft Editor for grammar and spelling on completed essays.
Common App's pages do not say it runs AI detection on essays. The Common App Fraud Policy says members may report fraud "consistent with the member's own internal fraud detection protocols," so each college handles its own review. Keep your drafts so you can show your own work if a college asks.