AI tools, such as ChatGPT, offer a quick solution for producing a personal statement. They require only several simple commands to generate a statement that can be submitted as a part of your university application. Given such potential for misuse, AI tools are becoming a great concern to the Universities and Colleges Admission Service, which processes all UK university applications. If you are applying to a UK university, you’ll need to consider UCAS regulations for using AI personal statements. In this blog, we explain all you need to know about AI writing and UCAS personal statements.
Are You Allowed to Use AI When Writing your UCAS Personal Statement?
The shortest and simplest answer to this question is “no”. If you read UCAS’ guide to using AI and ChatGPT with your personal statement, you’ll learn that UCAS explicitly discourages reliance on AI. Even though the guide acknowledges that AI can be used as tool, it states that “The personal statement is exactly that: personal. It is a chance to sell yourself and why you want to study a course”. This view makes sense as AI often produces too generic content and does have intricate insight of your skills and abilities, which must be woven into a personal statement to boost its effectiveness.
Is AI use for UCAS Personal Statements Considered Cheating and Can UCAS detect ChatGPT?
In its guide, UCAS answers this question with a clear “yes”. When you submit your UCAS personal statement, you are required to state that you have not copied the statement from another source, including an AI tool. This is another point that makes sense as UCAS expects you to provide an authentic reflection of your own experiences, skills, and aspirations in your statement. Using AI to generate or significantly alter your personal statement can misrepresent your personal voice and undermine your application’s integrity.
Tools such as a UCAS plagiarism detector may soon be used to determine if ChatGPT personal statements were involved in the writing process. If such implementation is detected, your chances of being offered a place at a university can be jeopardised.
Is AI Use for UCAS Personal Statements Penalised?
As was the case with the previous question, this one is answered with a “yes”. To uphold its duty to applicants and educational institutions, UCAS implements a Verification Team to identify fraudulent applications and detect similarities in personal statements. Even though UCAS’s guide does not explicitly mention the use of AI detection tools, these could be easily implemented to evaluate whether your statement was written by AI. If such implementation is detected, your chances of being offered a place to a university can be jeopardised.
How to Use AI Safely When Writing your UCAS Personal Statement?
UCAS’s guide offers several tips for using AI as a tool when crafting your personal statement. Specifically, whereas you are not allowed to copy directly from AI, you are allowed to use AI, such as ChatGPT, to get ideas on what to include in the statement, how to structure it, and how to ensure its readability. Indeed, AI tools can be safely used for these purposes as long as the final content remains original and reflects your personal voice and experiences.
Takeaway Message
In summary, UCAS discourages AI use for personal statements, considers its cheating, and mentions academic penalties. However, UCAS acknowledges that AI tools can be used to assist your statement writing process. If you are applying to a UK university, be sure to read UCAS’ guide and avoid overreliance on AI.
