Penn State-University Park AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L0 (unchanged)
Disclosure: D0 (unchanged)
Enforcement: E1 → E0 (Unknown policy)
This school updated their AI admissions policy between our September 2025 and February 2026 reviews.
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at Penn State-University Park?
It depends on your program:
- •General/Undergraduate: No explicit policy (No explicit policy)
- •School of International Affairs (SIA): Brainstorming only
- •Smeal College of Business MBA Programs: No explicit policy
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 Penn State undergraduate admissions website.”
— How to Apply - Undergraduate Admissions - Penn State(Verified: Feb 2026)
Program-Specific Policies
School of International Affairs (SIA)
“SIA permits the use of AI to generate ideas, assist with structure, and check grammar and spelling”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: statement of purpose
Smeal College of Business MBA Programs
“The admissions committee will not tolerate any form of plagiarism or appearance of impropriety in an applicant's materials.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: application essays
Policy Summary by Program
| Program | AI Allowed? | Disclosure | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Undergraduate | No explicit policy | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
| School of International Affairs (SIA) | Brainstorming only | No disclosure required | E2 • Uses screening tools |
| Smeal College of Business MBA Programs | No explicit policy | No disclosure required | E2 • Uses screening tools |
Sources Verified
All sources checked (12)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://www.psu.edu/admission/undergraduate
- https://www.psu.edu/admission/undergraduate/how-to-apply
- https://www.psu.edu/resources/first-year-students/steps-to-apply
- https://www.psu.edu/resources/faq/first-year-students
- https://www.psu.edu/resources/faq/
- https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-admissions/
- https://ai.psu.edu/guidelines/
- https://integrity.psu.edu/ai
- https://www.sia.psu.edu/admissions/degree-options/mia
- https://www.sia.psu.edu/admissions/admissions-policy
- https://hybridmba.smeal.psu.edu/program-admissions
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L0 | D0 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L0 | D0 | E1 | High |
Additional Context
Penn State has no explicit AI policy for undergraduate admissions essays. The undergraduate admissions site makes no mention of AI, ChatGPT, or generative AI tools. However, two graduate-level programs have notable policies: (1) The School of International Affairs explicitly permits AI for idea generation, structure, and grammar/spelling but requires the statement of purpose to be 'entirely in your own words' with 'authenticity' as a 'central criterion,' and uses iThenticate to verify essays; (2) Smeal College MBA programs use iThenticate to screen all admissions essays for plagiarism and have zero tolerance for impropriety, with violations resulting in automatic denial, but do not mention AI specifically. General university AI guidelines (ai.psu.edu) and academic integrity pages (integrity.psu.edu) address classroom use only and do not reference admissions materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Penn State-University Park allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to Penn State-University Park?
How does Penn State-University Park check for AI?
Which Penn State-University Park programs have different AI policies?
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