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ChatGPT Doesn’t Know You
ChatGPT doesn’t know who you are. ChatGPT doesn’t care. Your admissions officers do.
The Temptation of AI-Generated Essays
It may seem tempting to ask AI to prepare a personal statement for you. Surely AI can put together the most successful sentences in its training data to make you come across as the candidate most perfectly suited to the program to which you are applying. An AI-generated essay, however, is frequently bland, repetitive, and utterly impersonal.
AI Can’t Capture Your Unique Voice
You may think ChatGPT can create something that is exactly what admissions officers want to hear. In fact, only you can. ChatGPT may suggest that your essay conclude with something like:
Cheerleading has been more than just a sport; it has been a transformative journey that has taught me invaluable lessons about the value of hard work. Through countless hours of practice, moments of triumph, and setbacks alike, I have emerged stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to face the challenges that lie ahead. Cheerleading has not only shaped my character but instilled in me a profound appreciation for the power of dedication, resilience, and teamwork.
Do you feel that you know the person who submitted this? Do they seem like an individual you would like to get to know better?
The Value of Human Help
It is fine – and a very good idea! – to ask for outside help when crafting your personal statement. A fresh pair of eyes can spot everything from typos to transitions that do not make sense to someone who isn’t already familiar with your story. But remember, only another person can recognize the human-to-human connection you are trying to make with your admissions officers.
Why Choose Professional Editing?
By using a service such as EssayEdge, you can feel confident that a professional editor with years of experience working specifically with a variety of application essays has guided you to make your essay effective, grammatically correct, and personal.
Crafting a Unique and Personal Conclusion
What if, instead, your essay ended with:
I set aside my anxiety, put myself figuratively and literally in my teammates’ hands, and let them help vault me to the top of the pyramid. As I flexed my knees and shifted my weight to maintain my posture, I heard the crowd burst into applause. From where I stood on the shoulders of my friends, I could see how far persistence and courage can take me.
An EssayEdge editor can ask the kinds of questions and make the kinds of suggestions that can bring out a perspective like this on your experience, helping you to convey the points that you want to make in a way that will distinguish you from applicants who overgeneralize. Unlike ChatGPT, EssayEdge does not write essays for you, but rather coaches you in creating a piece that is both your own writing and your own story.
Presenting yourself with honesty and enthusiasm, while demonstrating that you can follow the instructions laid out in the application, will make you stand out on the page. And when your admissions officers can see who you truly are in your essay, they can see how well you will fit into their campus and manage your academic years such as new projects, initiation including managing student housing.
Stand Out with Honesty and Enthusiasm
Presenting yourself with honesty and enthusiasm, while demonstrating that you can follow the instructions laid out in the application, will make you stand out on the page. And when your admissions officers can see who you truly are in your essay, they can see how well you will fit into their campus.
Melissa Shaner
EssayEdge editor since 2004
Related:
Will Your Admission Essay Pass College’s AI Detection Software? Part 1
Will Your Admission Essay Pass College’s AI Detection Software? Part 2
Using ChatGPT for Writing Admission Essay: How It Can Ruin Your Chances of Success
