In August, Penn Admissions published guidance on integrity and AI for the 2026–27 cycle. It doesn’t ban AI. Applicants may talk ideas through with others, get proofreading, or use a tool, including AI, to organize their thoughts or check grammar. But if AI generates the responses, someone else drafts the essays, or activities are embellished, the application’s certification is compromised. Penn’s summary: “Getting help is not the same as losing ownership.”
What this means for your student
The test I use with students is simple: could they explain, out loud, how every idea in the essay got there? AI-polished writing also tends to read as generic, and generic is the one thing a reader can’t argue for in committee.
Related reading
Sources: Penn Admissions, “Integrity and AI Use in the Admissions Process”; The Daily Pennsylvanian (Aug. 2026).