University of Richmond AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L2 → L0 (No explicit policy)
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 Richmond?
It depends on your program:
- •General/Undergraduate: No explicit policy (No explicit policy)
- •School of Law (J.D. and Transfer/Visiting): 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 undergraduate admissions website”
— First-Year Application Materials - Undergraduate Admission - University of Richmond(Verified: Feb 2026)
Program-Specific Policies
School of Law (J.D. and Transfer/Visiting)
“may not be produced in any part with ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence or large language model system”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: personal statement, supplemental statement
Policy Summary by Program
| Program | AI Allowed? | Disclosure | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Undergraduate | No explicit policy | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
| School of Law (J.D. and Transfer/Visiting) | AI use prohibited | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
Sources Verified
All sources checked (11)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://admission.richmond.edu/
- https://admission.richmond.edu/process/materials.html
- https://admission.richmond.edu/features/article/-/23790/a-guide-to-creating-a-successful-application.html
- https://admission.richmond.edu/features/article/-/20280/a-guide-to-crafting-a-great-supplemental-essay.html
- https://law.richmond.edu/admissions/apply/index.html
- https://law.richmond.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-visiting.html
- https://law.richmond.edu/admissions/general_faqs.html
- https://genai.richmond.edu/
- https://genai.richmond.edu/guidelines/students/index.html
- https://genai.richmond.edu/guidelines/faculty/index.html
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L0 | D0 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L2 | D2 | E1 | High |
Additional Context
Undergraduate admissions (admission.richmond.edu) has no AI-specific policy for application essays. Essay guidance emphasizes authenticity ('be authentic and genuine,' 'Does this sound like me?') but never explicitly mentions AI, ChatGPT, or generative tools. The university's general academic AI guidelines at genai.richmond.edu are instructor-dependent and pertain to coursework, not admissions. The School of Law has an explicit L4 prohibition: written submissions 'may not be produced in any part with ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence or large language model system.' Previous L2 classification was based on genai.richmond.edu academic guidelines, which are not admissions-authored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does University of Richmond allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to University of Richmond?
How does University of Richmond check for AI?
Which University of Richmond programs have different AI policies?
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