Columbia University AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L0 → L2 (Line-level editing allowed)
Disclosure: D0 (unchanged)
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 Columbia University?
It depends on your program:
- •General/Undergraduate: Line-level editing allowed
- •Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS): AI use prohibited
- •School of the Arts (Graduate): AI use prohibited
- •Columbia Law School (JD, LLM, JSD): AI use prohibited
- •Columbia Business School (MBA, JD/MBA): Line-level editing allowed
- •School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA): AI use prohibited
Last verified: 2026-02-17 • 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
“Columbia expects that all submitted application materials are the applicant's own original work and reflect their authentic voice.”
— First-Year Applicants | Columbia Undergraduate Admissions(Updated: 2025-12-01)
“Applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Columbia's Honor Pledge & Honor Code and Generative AI Policy.”
— First-Year Applicants | Columbia Undergraduate Admissions(Updated: 2025-12-01)
“Students may utilize a wide range of resources, tools, and support during the college admissions process.”
— First-Year Applicants | Columbia Undergraduate Admissions(Updated: 2025-12-01)
Program-Specific Policies
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS)
“Artificial intelligence programs may not be used to produce any application materials or responses.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: application materials, responses
School of the Arts (Graduate)
“Forbids the use of any generative artificial intelligence platforms in the creation of application materials.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: application materials, creative materials
Columbia Law School (JD, LLM, JSD)
“No artificial intelligence tool or service has written or modified any component of the application.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: application materials, essays, personal statement
Columbia Business School (MBA, JD/MBA)
“Permits the use of generative AI tools for idea generation and/or to edit; using these tools to generate complete responses violates the Honor Code.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: essays, application materials
School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
“The use of generative AI tools for completing the application or any associated materials violates the policy.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: application materials, essays
Specific Guidelines
✓ Allowed Uses
- •idea generation
- •grammar/spell check
- •editing assistance
✗ Not Allowed
- •AI-generated essays
- •submitting AI-written content as your own
Policy Summary by Program
| Program | AI Allowed? | Disclosure | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Undergraduate | Line-level editing allowed | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
| Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) | AI use prohibited | No disclosure required | E2 • Uses screening tools |
| School of the Arts (Graduate) | AI use prohibited | Must attest no AI used | E3 • Formal verification required |
| Columbia Law School (JD, LLM, JSD) | AI use prohibited | Must attest no AI used | E2 • Uses screening tools |
| Columbia Business School (MBA, JD/MBA) | Line-level editing allowed | No disclosure required | E1 • Manual review possible |
| School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) | AI use prohibited | No disclosure required | E2 • Uses screening tools |
Sources Verified
All sources checked (17)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/firstyear
- https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/artificial-intelligence
- https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/updates/message-prospective-applicants
- https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/faqview?page=3
- https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/counselors
- https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/introduction-gsas-admissions
- https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/bama-option
- https://arts.columbia.edu/admissions/policies-and-processes
- https://arts.columbia.edu/admissions/graduate
- https://www.law.columbia.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/llm/application-process
- https://www.law.columbia.edu/admissions/jd
- https://academics.business.columbia.edu/admissions/mba/application-requirements
- https://academics.business.columbia.edu/admissions/dual-degrees/three-year-jdmba/application-requirements
- https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/admissions/apply
- https://provost.columbia.edu/content/office-senior-vice-provost/ai-policy
- https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/academic-integrity/policy-practices/honor-pledge-honor-code
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L2 | D0 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-18 | L0 | D0 | E0 | High |
Additional Context
Columbia University's AI admissions policy varies significantly by school. Undergraduate admissions (Columbia College and Columbia Engineering) acknowledges that applicants may use various tools and support but requires all materials to be the applicant's own original work reflecting their authentic voice, and references the university's Generative AI Policy and Honor Code — classified as L2. Multiple graduate and professional schools have explicit L4 prohibitions: GSAS, School of the Arts, Law School (all programs), and SIPA all prohibit AI use in application materials. The notable exception is Columbia Business School, which explicitly permits generative AI for idea generation and editing but prohibits using AI to generate complete responses (L2). The Law School and School of the Arts require formal attestation that no AI was used (D3). The top-level classification of L2 reflects the undergraduate admissions policy; applicants to specific graduate programs should consult program-specific policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Columbia University allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to Columbia University?
How does Columbia University check for AI?
Which Columbia University programs have different AI policies?
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