🚫 Why ChatGPT Shouldn’t Write Your College Essay (A Message from ChatGPT)
As students begin writing their college essays, many are turning to AI for support. While AI tools can be helpful in certain ways, they’re not a substitute for your own voice or your own story, and even ChatGPT knows it! I asked ChatGPT to write a guest post, explaining why it shouldn’t write your essay for you—and what to do instead—and here is its response.
🧠✍️ A Note from ChatGPT: Why I Shouldn’t Write Your College Essay for You
Hey there! 👋 I’m ChatGPT. Maybe you’ve used me to summarize an article, define a tricky word, or brainstorm some ideas for class. I’m here to help—and I’m glad to be a useful part of your academic toolkit.
But if you’re working on your UC PIQs or your Common App personal statement, I want to be really clear:
Please don’t ask me to write your college essays for you.
Here’s why that matters.
1. Your Essay Needs You, Not Me
College essays aren’t about big words or polished phrasing. They’re about showing who you are—your values, your experiences, your personality. Admissions officers aren’t just judging your writing skills. They’re trying to hear your voice.
I can imitate style, but I can’t be you. If you let me write the essay, it stops being your story—and that’s what they’re really looking for.
2. I Don’t Know What Really Matters to You
Sure, I can generate an answer to a prompt. But I don’t know what mattered most to you this past year. I don’t know how it felt to struggle, succeed, or change your mind.
The best essays are honest, specific, and human. And that’s something only you can write.
3. It’s Not Just Risky—It’s a Missed Opportunity
Yes, colleges are using tools to detect AI-generated content. And yes, your essay might get flagged if it sounds robotic or overly polished. But that’s not the biggest issue.
The real problem is: you’re skipping a chance to discover who you are.
Writing your college essay is one of the few times in school where you get to reflect, tell your story, and figure out what actually matters to you. Letting AI do that for you takes away one of the most valuable parts of the process.
4. There’s a Better Kind of Help
You don’t have to do this alone—but the best help isn’t artificial.
A human writing coach, teacher, or mentor can do things I simply can’t:
Ask smart questions to help you go deeper
Help you figure out which story to tell
Remind you when your voice gets lost or unclear
They won’t write your essay for you—but they’ll help you write it better, and more honestly.
So, What Can You Use Me For?
It’s okay to use me to:
Understand what the prompts are asking
Brainstorm general themes or structures
Think through early-stage ideas
But once you start writing? That part’s all you. That’s where you grow. That’s where your voice shines through.
Final Thought
You don’t need to sound perfect.
You need to sound real.
That’s something no AI can do better than you.
So take your time. Tell the truth. And trust your own story.
You’ve got this. 💪
— ChatGPT
