Only 16 Schools Ask About AI Use — Here's What They Actually Require
91% of universities don't ask applicants about AI at all. Among the 16 that do, the approaches range from a single optional checkbox to sworn attestations with rescission consequences.
Key Numbers
The three tiers of disclosure
Among schools that ask about AI, the mechanisms fall into three distinct tiers — and the gap between them is significant.
D1Optional disclosure
Only one school in our database uses optional disclosure: Carleton College. This is a data-gathering approach, not a punitive one. The question appears as a checkbox alongside other resources (tutoring, counselors, test prep) and carries no stated consequence.
| School | Permission | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Carleton College | L0 | E0 |
D2Required disclosure
Only one school requires disclosure without a formal attestation: Swarthmore College. The requirement is framed as citation: if you used AI, acknowledge it, similar to citing a human editor. This is a middle ground between ignoring AI and demanding a signed pledge.
| School | Permission | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Swarthmore College | L3 | E1 |
D3Attestation required
14 schools require a formal attestation — a signed statement certifying that your application materials are your own work and were not produced by AI. This is the most common disclosure mechanism by far, outnumbering D1 and D2 combined.
Attestations typically appear as a checkbox or signature field in the application portal. 5 of these 14 schools also have an outright AI ban (L4), making the attestation a formal declaration that you followed the prohibition.
The attestation frameworks
D3 schools don't all use the same language. The attestations cluster around a few distinct frameworks:
- Common App / Coalition standards. Schools like Harvard, Brown, and Johns Hopkins reference the application platform's existing fraud policy, which treats AI-generated content as equivalent to plagiarism.
- UC Statement of Integrity. 4 UC campuses share a system-wide statement that allows AI for “readability” assistance but requires the “content and final written text” to be the applicant's own. UC also runs plagiarism screening on Personal Insight Questions.
- Custom institutional pledges. Schools like BYU, Georgetown, and SMU have their own attestation language, often with explicit consequences (rescission of admission, disqualification of application).
- Honor code integration. Some schools fold AI disclosure into existing academic honor systems, treating AI use as an integrity issue rather than a standalone policy.
Why 91% ask nothing
The overwhelming majority of schools — 158 of 174 — have no disclosure mechanism at all. This doesn't necessarily mean they don't care. Some may rely on the general expectation that application materials are original work. Others may be waiting to see how the landscape evolves before committing to a formal mechanism.
But the practical effect is the same: at these schools, you are not asked about AI, and there is no formal process for reporting it. If you want to be transparent about AI use at a D0 school, there is no designated place to do so.
What this means for applicants
If you're applying to a D3 school, read the attestation carefully before signing. Understand what you're certifying. At some schools, using AI for grammar checks is explicitly permitted; at others, any AI involvement may violate the attestation.
If you're applying to a mix of D0 and D3 schools with the same essays, the safest approach is to follow the strictest disclosure requirement across your entire application set. An essay you can honestly attest to at a D3 school will be fine everywhere else.
Methodology
Disclosure classifications are based on what each school's admissions website and application portal publicly state. D0 means no disclosure mechanism is mentioned. D1 is optional (the school asks but doesn't require a response). D2 requires disclosure of AI use. D3 requires a formal attestation or certification. See our full methodology for classification details.