Carleton College AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L0 (unchanged)
Disclosure: D0 → D1 (Unknown policy)
Enforcement: E0 (unchanged)
This school updated their AI admissions policy between our September 2025 and February 2026 reviews.
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at Carleton College?
Carleton College has no explicit AI policy for admissions essays. While not explicitly prohibited, the lack of clear guidance means students should be cautious.
Disclosure: Carleton College encourages but does not require students to disclose AI use. There may be an optional field to describe how AI was used.
Enforcement: Carleton College has not indicated how they check for AI use in admissions essays.
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
💡Consider disclosing AI use even though it's optional — transparency builds trust
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“Which resources did you use to prepare your application? Check as many as apply: ... Chat GPT or other AI”
— Carleton Supplement 2025-26(Verified: Feb 2026)
“No AI-specific admissions essay policy found on admissions website”
— Essay Tips - Carleton College Admissions(Verified: Feb 2026)
“Write thoughtfully and with authenticity”
— Essay Tips - Carleton College Admissions(Verified: Feb 2026)
“Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style”
— Essay Tips - Carleton College Admissions(Verified: Feb 2026)
Sources Verified
All sources checked (11)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/
- https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/steps/criteria/
- https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/steps/materials/
- https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/steps/essay/
- https://www.admissions.carleton.edu/register/supplement
- https://www.carleton.edu/ai/policies/
- https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/stories/ghost-in-the-machine/
- https://www.carleton.edu/president/news/ai-year-of-experimentation/
- https://www.carleton.edu/writing/plagiarism/plagiarism-and-ai/
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L0 | D1 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L0 | D0 | E0 | High |
Additional Context
Carleton College has no explicit AI policy for admissions essays. However, the 2025-26 Carleton Supplement includes a resource-use disclosure question where applicants can check 'Chat GPT or other AI' among other resources used to prepare their application. This is framed as a neutral data-gathering question (not restrictive or punitive), justifying D1 rather than D0. General essay tips emphasize authenticity and preserving the applicant's voice but do not mention AI. Carleton designated 2025-26 as 'Year of AI Experimentation' for academic purposes but has not extended AI guidance to admissions materials. The 'Ghost in the Machine' admissions article discusses Carleton not using AI in its own admissions process but does not address applicant use of AI in essays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Carleton College allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to Carleton College?
How does Carleton College check for AI?
See outdated information? Let us know: support@gradpilot.com
Learn More About AI in Admissions
Do Colleges Use AI Detectors? The Truth About Turnitin
What detection tools colleges actually use, and why many are disabling them
AI Detection Costs & Policies: What Universities Actually Spend
Verified spending data on Turnitin, Copyleaks, and alternatives
Do Top 10 Colleges Check for AI? Official Policies
Princeton, Harvard, MIT and other top colleges on AI detection in essays
Should You Tell Colleges You Used AI?
When disclosure helps, when it hurts, and how to decide for your application
How We Classified 170+ University AI Policies
Our L/D/E framework for comparing permission, disclosure, and enforcement