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MBAGuide
Joined: 24 Jul 2019
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 2,541
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 29
Location: India
Concentration: Operations, Marketing
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
02 Sep 2026, 03:58
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Bookmarks
AI in MBA applications has moved well beyond the usual question of, “Can I use ChatGPT to write my essay?”
A number of top schools now ask applicants to disclose how they used AI in the application itself. The rules are not the same across schools, and some are quite specific about what they consider misuse.
So if you are applying this year, do not assume that what is fine at one school is automatically fine at another.
What some schools are asking for
HBS asks a yes/no question about whether you used AI. If you say yes, you also need to explain, in 75 words, how and where you used it.
Kellogg and LBS ask applicants to cite or provide a footnote wherever AI was used in the essay.
Michigan Ross is even more specific. It asks for APA-style in-text citations when AI has been used. So yes, you could potentially have something like “(OpenAI, personal communication, September 1, 2024)” sitting inside an MBA essay.
Wharton takes a different approach. It says applications may be reviewed using AI detection tools, with flagged essays subject to further review. Duke Fuqua also uses plagiarism detection software.
Stanford GSB and NYU Stern are stricter about the writing itself. They do not allow applicants to outsource the writing of their application to AI.
There are also schools where the policy is less clear. As of now, INSEAD, MIT Sloan and Chicago Booth have not published specific AI admissions policies. I would not take that as permission to do whatever you want. If anything, I would be more careful when the rules are not clearly laid out.
So, does spellcheck count?
This is probably the most common question. Basic spelling and grammar correction is generally fine. Things get less clear when AI starts changing your actual writing.
Rephrasing a sentence, restructuring a paragraph, generating a first draft, brainstorming your goals or rewriting something to sound more polished can all fall into a different category.
If AI has played a meaningful role in shaping the words that finally appear in your essay, check the school’s policy and disclose it if required. Do not assume that because you came up with the original idea, everything that came after is automatically considered your own work.
Why do schools care
I think applicants are focusing too much on whether they need to disclose AI use and not enough on why schools are becoming so particular about it.
The adcom is trying to figure out who you are through a very limited amount of writing. If every essay starts sounding polished, generic and interchangeable, their job becomes much harder.
The best part of your essay is usually the detail that could only have come from you. The conversation you had with your manager. The decision you made when nobody was telling you what to do. The awkward mistake you still remember. The very specific reason you chose one path over another. AI can make your writing sound impressive. But it cannot give you those experiences.
That is why I would be careful about over-polishing your essays. A little roughness in the writing is perfectly fine if the underlying story is real and interesting. I would much rather read an essay that sounds like a real person than one that has been polished within an inch of its life.
So how should you actually use AI?
Use it like you would use a good editor. Ask it to tell you where something is unclear. Ask it to help you cut 50 words. Ask whether the logic of your essay makes sense. Ask it to point out where you are repeating yourself.
I would be much more careful about asking it to write the substance of the essay for you. And please do not rely on AI to research your “why this school” section without checking everything yourself. It can confidently give you a professor, course, club or programme detail that simply does not exist. That is a very avoidable way of making your application look careless.
Before you submit, check the AI policy of every school you are applying to. The rules are not uniform, and they are changing quickly.
Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]
A number of top schools now ask applicants to disclose how they used AI in the application itself. The rules are not the same across schools, and some are quite specific about what they consider misuse.
So if you are applying this year, do not assume that what is fine at one school is automatically fine at another.
What some schools are asking for
HBS asks a yes/no question about whether you used AI. If you say yes, you also need to explain, in 75 words, how and where you used it.
Kellogg and LBS ask applicants to cite or provide a footnote wherever AI was used in the essay.
Michigan Ross is even more specific. It asks for APA-style in-text citations when AI has been used. So yes, you could potentially have something like “(OpenAI, personal communication, September 1, 2024)” sitting inside an MBA essay.
Wharton takes a different approach. It says applications may be reviewed using AI detection tools, with flagged essays subject to further review. Duke Fuqua also uses plagiarism detection software.
Stanford GSB and NYU Stern are stricter about the writing itself. They do not allow applicants to outsource the writing of their application to AI.
There are also schools where the policy is less clear. As of now, INSEAD, MIT Sloan and Chicago Booth have not published specific AI admissions policies. I would not take that as permission to do whatever you want. If anything, I would be more careful when the rules are not clearly laid out.
So, does spellcheck count?
This is probably the most common question. Basic spelling and grammar correction is generally fine. Things get less clear when AI starts changing your actual writing.
Rephrasing a sentence, restructuring a paragraph, generating a first draft, brainstorming your goals or rewriting something to sound more polished can all fall into a different category.
If AI has played a meaningful role in shaping the words that finally appear in your essay, check the school’s policy and disclose it if required. Do not assume that because you came up with the original idea, everything that came after is automatically considered your own work.
Why do schools care
I think applicants are focusing too much on whether they need to disclose AI use and not enough on why schools are becoming so particular about it.
The adcom is trying to figure out who you are through a very limited amount of writing. If every essay starts sounding polished, generic and interchangeable, their job becomes much harder.
The best part of your essay is usually the detail that could only have come from you. The conversation you had with your manager. The decision you made when nobody was telling you what to do. The awkward mistake you still remember. The very specific reason you chose one path over another. AI can make your writing sound impressive. But it cannot give you those experiences.
That is why I would be careful about over-polishing your essays. A little roughness in the writing is perfectly fine if the underlying story is real and interesting. I would much rather read an essay that sounds like a real person than one that has been polished within an inch of its life.
So how should you actually use AI?
Use it like you would use a good editor. Ask it to tell you where something is unclear. Ask it to help you cut 50 words. Ask whether the logic of your essay makes sense. Ask it to point out where you are repeating yourself.
I would be much more careful about asking it to write the substance of the essay for you. And please do not rely on AI to research your “why this school” section without checking everything yourself. It can confidently give you a professor, course, club or programme detail that simply does not exist. That is a very avoidable way of making your application look careless.
Before you submit, check the AI policy of every school you are applying to. The rules are not uniform, and they are changing quickly.
Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]
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