GRADPILOT

UC Irvine AI Policy for College Applications

General Policy:L3 • Brainstorming onlyD0 • No disclosure requiredE2 • Uses screening tools

Quick Answer: Can you use AI at UC Irvine?

UC Irvine 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: UC Irvine does not require disclosure of AI use in admissions materials.

Enforcement: UC Irvine uses AI detection tools and screening software to identify potential AI-generated content in applications.

Last verified: 2025-09-19 • Confidence: High

Policy Evidence

University General Policy

“UC, frankly, is pretty sure that a whole bunch of students are going to use AI to complete their personal insight questions”

— UCI Podcast - Admissions and AI(Updated: 2023)

“From our perspective, we just want to be sure that students are using it as a tool to help them craft their response. Not a way to just generate something out of whole cloth”

— UCI Podcast - Admissions and AI(Updated: 2023)

“If a student has a story to tell, we want that story to be theirs. We don't want it to be generated in some other way”

— UCI Podcast - Admissions and AI(Updated: 2023)

Specific Guidelines

✓ Allowed Uses

  • •AI as writing tool for assistance
  • •prompts for brainstorming
  • •help crafting responses

✗ Not Allowed

  • •generating content out of whole cloth
  • •completely AI-generated answers
  • •using AI-generated stories instead of personal stories

Sources Verified

All sources checked (4)
Confidence: HighLast verified: 2025-09-19

Additional Context

UCI takes pragmatic approach acknowledging widespread AI use. Allows AI as writing tool but requires authentic personal stories. UC system runs plagiarism checks and can disqualify for inappropriate AI use. Officials focus on authenticity over detection, with human readers evaluating all applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does UC Irvine allow ChatGPT for essays?

UC Irvine 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.

Do I need to disclose AI use to UC Irvine?

UC Irvine does not require disclosure of AI use in admissions materials.

How does UC Irvine check for AI?

UC Irvine uses AI detection tools and screening software to identify potential AI-generated content in applications.

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