American University AI Policy for College Applications
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at American University?
It depends on your program:
- •General/Undergraduate: No explicit policy (No explicit policy)
- •College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Graduate Admissions: AI use prohibited
Last verified: 2026-02-17 • Confidence: High
What This Means For Your Application
✓Generally Safe
- Grammar and spell-checking tools
- Getting human feedback on drafts
✗Avoid
- Submitting AI-generated paragraphs as your own
💡No explicit policy doesn't mean AI is allowed — err on the side of caution
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“No AI-specific admissions essay policy found on undergraduate admissions website”
— Prospective First-Year Student Application Checklist(Verified: Feb 2026)
Program-Specific Policies
College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Graduate Admissions
“We do not accept personal statements written by AI or similar tools.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: personal statement,statement of purpose
Policy Summary by Program
| Program | AI Allowed? | Disclosure | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Undergraduate | No explicit policy | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
| College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Graduate Admissions | AI use prohibited | Must attest no AI used | E0 • No enforcement stated |
Sources Verified
All sources checked (19)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://www.american.edu/admissions/first-year/checklist.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/admissions/enrollment-edit/early-decision-early-action-application-checklist.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/admissions/enrollment-edit/5-college-application-tips-from-admissions-experts.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/admissions/transfer/instructions.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/cas/admissions/apply.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/cas/admissions/requirements.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/sis/admissions/personal-statement.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/sis/admissions/required-materials.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/sis/admissions/faq.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/spa/admissions/apply-to-spa.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/spa/admissions/faqs.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/soc/admissions/graduate-apply.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/soe/graduate/graduate-admissions.cfm
- https://kogod.american.edu/programs-admissions/mba/admissions
- https://www.wcl.american.edu/school/admissions/jd/apply/first-year/
- https://www.american.edu/wcl/school/admissions/jd/apply/first-year/faq.cfm
- https://www.american.edu/oit/security/interim-guidance-on-the-use-of-ai.cfm
- https://edspace.american.edu/cfe/artificial-intelligence/
Additional Context
American University has no explicit AI policy for undergraduate admissions essays. However, the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Graduate Admissions explicitly prohibits AI-written personal statements on both its Apply and Requirements pages, with an attestation that the Statement of Purpose was authored by the applicant. This includes an exception for assistive technologies for applicants with disabilities. No other graduate school (SIS, SPA, SOE, SOC, Kogod, WCL) was found to have an explicit AI admissions essay policy. The university-wide Interim Guidance on AI addresses institutional use of AI in admissions decisions (human oversight required) but does not address applicant use of AI in essays. The undergraduate admissions site emphasizes authenticity and self-expression but does not mention AI specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
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