Writing a Powerful Personal Statement in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT have been praised for their ability to quickly generate content that can be tailored to specific requests. These tools can help individuals develop more professional sounding documents and responses. There are no doubt many benefits and advantages to this type of technology, but there are always drawbacks. Just because you can use AI to write your personal statement for college admissions, should you use it?

We’re taking a closer look at some of the limitations of AI-generated content and why it is important that you focus on the “personal” aspect of the personal statement. ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for brainstorming ideas, but it’s up to you to come up with a meaningful topic that is relevant to your own life and what you want to do.

Think Outside the Box

You don’t want to sound like every other applicant. There might be 50 other students who enter the same prompt into ChatGPT and get a similar response. Therefore, your personal statement quickly blends in with the rest and becomes more generic. There is nothing to set you apart. You’re providing the same canned responses as everyone else who has turned to AI for help.

ChatGPT can create a statement that sounds great, but where is the evidence to back it up and show how it relates to your own life? Think about the essay prompt from different perspectives and how you can connect your own experiences, thoughts, and ideas to answer the question.

Does your desire to become a physical therapist stem from watching the care your grandparents received? From your own recovery after an injury? Did you develop a passion for marketing after creating a campaign to run for class president or seeing advertisements and thinking about how you would do things differently? AI doesn’t know any of that, and it can’t express your passion and inspiration in the same compelling way that you can.

Consider What Empowers You

Everyone has endured challenges in their lives, but you have made it through every difficult situation so far. Think about the lessons you have learned. How can you position those hardships as strengths? What have you gained from those experiences, and how has it influenced who you are today?

Talking about tough topics makes your story real. It shows different sides of who you are that go beyond surface level. ChatGPT can provide generalities that sound impressive, but there isn’t any true emotion behind them. You can go much deeper into what sets you apart from other applicants and how your unique experience has shaped you.

Working with a professional writer can help you explore different approaches to telling your story and finding that moment in time you want to capture. Personal statements often have a word count or character count limit, so you can’t share every detail of the whole situation. It’s about finding that one compelling idea and writing about it in a powerful and engaging way.

Don’t Let Technology Outsmart You

Colleges and universities are not oblivious to the fact that some students may try to get away with submitting AI-generated personal statements because the student thinks it sounds more impressive. However, when a real person reads it, they can tell when it is lacking that personal touch and human emotion. There are also systems out there designed to detect AI content, and you may be eliminated from consideration if they find your statement was not actually written by you.

Plus, why would you want to start your college career off pretending to be someone you’re not? There is always the risk of ChatGPT overembellishing your experience and portraying you in a less than accurate light. You should want to be accepted based on your own merit and your own abilities; after all, you will be the one attending classes, engaging in discussions, and doing the work.

Show the Best Version of Yourself

In the end, AI is just a tool, and it can only formulate responses based on what it has been taught. You have lived your life in real-time, overcome challenges, and dreamt of your future, and that is all contained within your mind, not a software system. Work with a professional writer who can help you organize, polish, and present your thoughts in a meaningful way that is true to who you are. The addition of a professionally written resume can further complement your application materials and build a stronger foundation to support your acceptance.

Contact Grammar Chic to learn more about how we can assist with personal statements and resumes to get you started on the right path toward higher education.