University of Kentucky AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L0 (unchanged)
Disclosure: D2 → D0 (Unknown policy)
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 University of Kentucky?
It depends on your program:
- •General/Undergraduate: No explicit policy (No explicit policy)
- •College of Social Work (PhD Program): AI use prohibited
- •Department of Biology (Graduate Program): AI use prohibited
- •Department of Geography (Graduate Program): AI use prohibited
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 the university-wide undergraduate admissions website”
— Apply | Admission(Verified: Feb 2026)
Program-Specific Policies
College of Social Work (PhD Program)
“The use of Artificial Intelligence ("AI") in writing any portion of the application is prohibited.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: personal statement, application materials, writing samples
Department of Biology (Graduate Program)
“Personal statements should be original work of the applicant and written without the assistance of AI.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: personal statement
Department of Geography (Graduate Program)
“Please refrain from using AI-generated text when drafting your statement.”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: personal statement, writing samples
Policy Summary by Program
| Program | AI Allowed? | Disclosure | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Undergraduate | No explicit policy | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
| College of Social Work (PhD Program) | AI use prohibited | No disclosure required | E2 • Uses screening tools |
| Department of Biology (Graduate Program) | AI use prohibited | No disclosure required | E2 • Uses screening tools |
| Department of Geography (Graduate Program) | AI use prohibited | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
Sources Verified
All sources checked (11)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://admission.uky.edu/apply
- https://admission.uky.edu/freshman/admission-checklist
- https://admission.uky.edu
- https://honors.uky.edu/prospective
- https://honors.uky.edu/admissions/upper-level-admission/upper-level-admission-application
- https://gradschool.uky.edu/admissions
- https://gradschool.uky.edu/admissions/application-process
- https://cs.engr.uky.edu/students-1/graduate-studies/computer-science/admissions
- https://celt.uky.edu/ai-course-policy-examples
- https://advance.uky.edu/research-recommendations
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L0 | D0 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L0 | D2 | E1 | High |
Additional Context
The University of Kentucky has no university-wide AI policy for admissions essays. The central undergraduate admissions office (admission.uky.edu) and the Graduate School (gradschool.uky.edu) are both silent on AI use in application materials. However, at least three individual graduate programs have independently adopted explicit prohibitions on AI use in personal statements and application writing: the College of Social Work PhD program (which prohibits AI in any portion of the application, with suspected AI use leading to disqualification), the Biology graduate program (which requires statements be written without AI assistance and may test for AI usage), and the Geography graduate program (which asks applicants to refrain from AI-generated text). The Lewis Honors College requires an essay for undergraduate admission but does not mention AI restrictions. The university-level classification is L0 because no centralized admissions AI policy exists, but program-specific policies are documented separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does University of Kentucky allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to University of Kentucky?
How does University of Kentucky check for AI?
Which University of Kentucky programs have different AI policies?
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