University of Wisconsin-Madison AI Policy for College Applications
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at University of Wisconsin-Madison?
It depends on your program:
- •General/Undergraduate: AI use permitted
- •La Follette School of Public Affairs Graduate Programs: AI use prohibited
Last verified: 2026-02-17 (no change from 2025-09-19) • Confidence: High
What This Means For Your Application
✓Generally Safe
- Using AI to help draft and refine your essay
- AI-assisted brainstorming and editing
✗Avoid
- Submitting content you can't explain or defend
💡Even with permissive policies, your authentic voice should come through
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“We will not disqualify an applicant found to have used or suspected of using AI in their admissions essays”
— Admissions Essays - Office of Admissions and Recruitment - UW-Madison(Verified: Feb 2026)
“nor are we running essays through any system to detect if AI was used”
— Admissions Essays - Office of Admissions and Recruitment - UW-Madison(Verified: Feb 2026)
“we strongly discourage students from simply feeding AI a prompt for their essay”
— Admissions Essays - Office of Admissions and Recruitment - UW-Madison(Verified: Feb 2026)
Program-Specific Policies
La Follette School of Public Affairs Graduate Programs
“We require you to certify that the essays you submit are entirely your own original work and have not been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI)”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: admissions essays
Specific Guidelines
✓ Allowed Uses
- •limited AI assistance discouraged but not prohibited
✗ Not Allowed
- •simply feeding AI a prompt for entire essay
Policy Summary by Program
| Program | AI Allowed? | Disclosure | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Undergraduate | AI use permitted | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
| La Follette School of Public Affairs Graduate Programs | AI use prohibited | Must attest no AI used | E3 • Formal verification required |
Sources Verified
All sources checked (6)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L1 | D0 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L1 | D0 | E0 | High |
Additional Context
UW-Madison undergraduate admissions has a permissive AI policy with explicit statements that they will not disqualify applicants for AI use and do not run AI detection systems, but strongly discourages wholesale AI essay generation. La Follette School of Public Affairs requires certification of AI-free essays with admission revocation as a consequence. Law School and Medical School admissions pages have no AI-specific policies. Student conduct AI page is scoped only to enrolled students in coursework, not admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does University of Wisconsin-Madison allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to University of Wisconsin-Madison?
How does University of Wisconsin-Madison check for AI?
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