This week in college admissions, an analysis finds that AI-written admissions essays are easy to spot, Princeton will return to requiring standardized testing, the White House asks nine universities to sign a compact agreeing to make changes in return for funding, and Bryn Mawr and Smith go tuition-free for many families.
An analysis by Cornell researchers has found that admissions essays generated by AI are easy to distinguish from those written by human applicants. Researchers found that artificial intelligence produced essays that felt generic, and listed personal details in a formulaic way. This was true even when large language models were prompted to write from a particular perspective.
Princeton will return to requiring standardized testing for the 2027-28 admissions cycle. For this year’s and next year’s admissions cycles, submitting test scores remains optional. Applicants seeking to enroll in fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT test scores. The testing requirement was originally paused in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The Trump administration is seeking to make an agreement with nine universities, including Brown, Dartmouth, and MIT. The agreement, known as the Compact for Excellence in Higher Education, asks universities to sign on to a list of changes, including banning consideration of race or sex in admissions and hiring, freezing tuition for five years, limiting international student enrollment, and requiring applicants to take standardized tests. In return, universities will receive “substantial and meaningful federal grants.”
Beginning next fall, Bryn Mawr will be tuition-free for families earning under $175,000, and Smith College will be tuition-free for families earning under $150,000. Smith will also meet families’ full demonstrated need with grants instead of loans.
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