Babson College AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L0 → L2 (Line-level editing allowed)
Disclosure: D0 (unchanged)
Enforcement: E1 (unchanged)
This school updated their AI admissions policy between our September 2025 and February 2026 reviews.
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at Babson College?
Babson College allows limited AI use for editing and improving your own writing. AI can help with grammar, clarity, and sentence-level edits, but you must write the core content yourself.
Disclosure: Babson College does not require disclosure of AI use in admissions materials.
Enforcement: Babson College may conduct manual reviews to check for AI use, looking for inconsistencies in voice or style.
Last verified: 2026-02-18 • Confidence: High
What This Means For Your Application
✓Generally Safe
- AI grammar and clarity suggestions
- Rephrasing individual sentences with AI
✗Avoid
- Having AI write entire paragraphs or essays
- Using AI to generate ideas you present as your own
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“We understand that applicants may choose to use generative AI to support their application process.”
— College Admission Criteria(Verified: Feb 2026)
“It's essential that your materials remain authentic and reflect your own experiences and perspectives.”
— College Admission Criteria(Verified: Feb 2026)
“If you choose to use generative AI, we recommend that you use this tool to enhance your original work and not create it.”
— College Admission Criteria(Verified: Feb 2026)
“The final work you submit with your application should authentically reflect your lived experiences, interest in Babson College, and future goals.”
— Transfer Student Admission(Verified: Feb 2026)
Specific Guidelines
✓ Allowed Uses
- •enhancing original work with generative AI
- •grammar/spell check
- •editing and refining applicant-written text
✗ Not Allowed
- •using AI to create application content from scratch
- •submitting AI-generated text as your own writing
Sources Verified
All sources checked (8)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://www.babson.edu/undergraduate/admission/how-to-apply/
- https://www.babson.edu/undergraduate/admission/how-to-apply/transfer-applicants/
- https://www.babson.edu/undergraduate/admission/how-to-apply/evaluation-criteria/right-to-rescind-admission/
- https://www.babson.edu/undergraduate/admission/advice-for-high-school-students/how-to-write-a-college-essay/
- https://www.babson.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply/application-requirements/
- https://www.babson.edu/undergraduate/admission/how-to-apply/january-admission-applicants/
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-18 (current) | L2 | D0 | E1 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L0 | D0 | E1 | High |
Additional Context
Babson has upgraded from having no explicit AI admissions policy (L0) to a clear L2 stance. The evaluation criteria page and transfer applicants page both carry identical generative AI guidance permitting AI to 'enhance' original work but not 'create' it. No AI disclosure is required and no detection tools are mentioned, but the emphasis on authentic voice suggests soft review. The Right to Rescind page warns that misleading or false application materials can result in rescission. Graduate admissions pages do not appear to contain a parallel AI statement, so applicable_levels is limited to undergraduate and transfer. Babson requires a Common App personal statement plus two writing supplements (500 words max or 1-minute video; 250 words max).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Babson College allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to Babson College?
How does Babson College check for AI?
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