Swarthmore College AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L1 → L3 (Brainstorming only)
Disclosure: D2 (unchanged)
Enforcement: E2 → E1 (Unknown policy)
This school updated their AI admissions policy between our September 2025 and February 2026 reviews.
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at Swarthmore College?
Swarthmore College only allows AI for brainstorming and basic mechanics. You can use AI to generate ideas or check spelling/grammar, but cannot use it to write or rewrite any sentences.
Disclosure: Yes, Swarthmore College requires disclosure of any AI assistance. You must indicate what AI tools were used and how they helped.
Enforcement: Swarthmore College may conduct manual reviews to check for AI use, looking for inconsistencies in voice or style.
Last verified: 2026-02-17 • Confidence: High
What This Means For Your Application
✓Generally Safe
- Brainstorming essay topics with AI
- Spell-check and basic grammar tools
✗Avoid
- Any AI rewriting or paraphrasing of your sentences
- Using AI-suggested phrasing in your final draft
💡Be transparent about any AI tools you used — honesty is always the safest approach
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“Asking AI or another person to outline or draft an application essay”
— Admissions Guidance on Usage of Artificial Intelligence(Verified: Feb 2026)
“Overuse or uncritical use of AI can flatten or erase your authentic voice”
— Admissions Guidance on Usage of Artificial Intelligence(Verified: Feb 2026)
“proper acknowledgement or citation”
— Admissions Guidance on Usage of Artificial Intelligence(Verified: Feb 2026)
“Real people will be reading your application, discussing your materials, and making decisions”
— Admissions Guidance on Usage of Artificial Intelligence(Verified: Feb 2026)
Specific Guidelines
✓ Allowed Uses
- •brainstorming essay topics
- •researching colleges
- •summarizing application requirements
- •feedback on readability, spelling, and mechanics
✗ Not Allowed
- •asking AI to outline or draft application essays
- •using AI to translate writing into English
- •using AI to modify the tone of writing
- •having AI rewrite significant portions of essays
Sources Verified
All sources checked (5)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L3 | D2 | E1 | High |
| 2025-09-18 | L1 | D2 | E2 | High |
Additional Context
Swarthmore has a dedicated admissions AI guidance page. Policy allows brainstorming and mechanical feedback (spelling, grammar, readability) but explicitly prohibits outlining, drafting, tone modification, translation, and rewriting. Art supplements may prohibit AI entirely. Disclosure of AI-generated content with proper acknowledgement or citation is required. No explicit detection tools mentioned, but the policy warns that overuse of AI can flatten authentic voice, implying readers assess voice consistency. Reclassified from L1 to L3: the policy is restrictive, permitting only idea-stage brainstorming and mechanical checks while prohibiting all substantive AI writing assistance. Enforcement downgraded from E2 to E1 as no screening tools or detection processes are described. Page URL changed from /guidance-usage-artificial-intelligence to /admissions-guidance-usage-artificial-intelligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Swarthmore College allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to Swarthmore College?
How does Swarthmore College check for AI?
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