The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is using AI to automatically score the writing quality of application essays, The Daily Tar Heel reported on Monday.
According to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, it uses artificial intelligence tools to evaluate the grammar and writing style of essays, which are used to judge admission to the university. According to the university paper, essays are graded on a scale of one to four.
“There is no legal obligation to require and/or read essays for undergraduate application review,” Media Relations Manager Beth Lutz wrote in a statement to The Daily Tar Heel.
According to the university, though, students are expected to write their own essays and not rely on AI. The University of North Carolina’s code of conduct, which includes provisions about academic integrity, prohibits the use of AI to generate essays.
According to the university paper, UNC received more than 105,000 applicants during the 2023-2024 application season.
