How to Write an AI Disclosure for Your College Application

You used AI somewhere in your application process. Maybe it was ChatGPT for brainstorming. Maybe Grammarly for editing. Maybe DeepL for translation help. Now a school is asking about it, or you have decided to disclose proactively.

This guide covers exactly what to say, what not to say, where to put it, and what specific schools expect. If you want to skip ahead and generate a disclosure statement right now, our AI Disclosure Generator will walk you through it in about 60 seconds.

When Do You Need a Disclosure Statement?

Not every school requires one. Based on our analysis of 150+ university AI policies, here is the breakdown:

You must disclose (D3 schools): Georgetown, BYU, NC State, and SMU require a formal attestation about AI use. At these schools, you are signing a statement, so accuracy matters.

The application asks you (D2 schools): About 22% of schools, including Caltech, UC Berkeley, Swarthmore, Auburn, and Michigan State, include a disclosure question or prompt. Answer it directly and honestly.

Disclosure is encouraged (D1 schools): About 7% of schools, including Stanford, UPenn, UVA, Tufts, and Boston College, encourage transparency without mandating it. Proactive disclosure here demonstrates integrity.

No mechanism exists (D0 schools): About 68% of schools, including Harvard, MIT, Yale, Princeton, and Northwestern, have no disclosure question. Unsolicited disclosure is not expected, though you can use the Additional Information section if your usage was substantial.

Bottom line: If your school is D1, D2, or D3, you should have a disclosure statement ready. If your school is D0 and you used AI only for brainstorming or grammar, you can skip it.

What to Include in Your Disclosure

A good AI disclosure statement covers four things:

1. Which tools you used - Name the specific tools (ChatGPT, Grammarly, Claude, DeepL)
2. How you used them - Describe the nature of the assistance (brainstorming, grammar checking, translation, feedback)
3. What the final product looks like - Clarify that the ideas, experiences, and voice are yours
4. A statement of authenticity - Affirm your personal responsibility for the submitted work

That is it. You do not need a lengthy confession. You need a clear, factual description.

What NOT to Say

Do not apologize. A disclosure is not an apology. You are not confessing a crime. You are being transparent about a tool you used, the same way you might mention that a teacher reviewed your essay.

Do not over-disclose. You do not need to list every time you ran spell-check. If you used Grammarly for basic grammar correction, a single sentence covers it. Lengthy, anxious disclosures draw more attention than the AI use itself.

Do not be defensive. Phrases like "I know this might look bad, but..." or "I promise I didn't cheat" undermine your credibility. State what you did clearly and move on.

Do not list every grammar check. Built-in spell-checkers, autocorrect, and basic grammar tools like the ones in Google Docs or Microsoft Word are standard writing tools. No school expects you to disclose these. Focus on AI-specific tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grammarly's AI features, or translation tools.

Do not fabricate limitations. If you used AI substantially, do not downplay it to "just brainstorming." Admissions officers may be able to tell, and dishonesty on a disclosure defeats its purpose.

Tone: Confident and Transparent

The right tone is matter-of-fact. Think of it as a brief professional note, not an emotional appeal. You used a tool. Here is how. Here is why the work is still yours. Done.

Compare these two approaches:

Too defensive: "I want to be completely honest and transparent that I did use ChatGPT during my essay process. I know many schools frown on this, and I hope this doesn't negatively impact my application. I only used it a little bit and I promise all the ideas are mine."

Confident and clear: "I used ChatGPT to brainstorm potential essay topics and to generate questions that helped me reflect on my experiences. All drafting, writing, and revision was my own work. The ideas, experiences, and voice in my essays are authentically mine."

The second version is shorter, more professional, and communicates the same information without anxiety.

Example Disclosure Statements

Scenario 1: Used ChatGPT for Brainstorming Only

I used ChatGPT during the early stages of my essay process to brainstorm potential topics. I prompted it with general questions about what makes a compelling personal statement, and it helped me identify which of my experiences might resonate with readers. All essay drafts were written entirely by me, and the final essays reflect my own ideas, voice, and experiences.

When to use this: D1 and D2 schools where you used AI only in the ideation phase.

Scenario 2: Used Grammarly for Editing

I used Grammarly's premium features to review my essays for grammar, punctuation, and clarity after completing my drafts. I accepted some suggested corrections for grammatical errors and sentence structure. All content, ideas, and phrasing are my original work.

When to use this: D2 schools that specifically ask about AI tools. At most D0 and D1 schools, Grammarly-level editing does not require disclosure.

Scenario 3: Used AI for Translation Help (International Students)

English is not my first language, and I used DeepL Translator to help me express certain ideas in English after drafting initial versions in [your language]. I then extensively revised the translated text to ensure it reflected my intended meaning and personal voice. I also used Grammarly to check for remaining grammatical errors. All ideas, experiences, and perspectives are entirely my own.

When to use this: Any D1 or D2 school. This is an important context for international applicants, as it explains why AI was used and frames the assistance appropriately. Note that some schools, such as Swarthmore (D2/L1/E2), explicitly prohibit using AI for translation, so check the specific policy first.

Scenario 4: Used AI for Feedback on a Draft

After completing my essay drafts, I used Claude to get feedback on clarity, argument structure, and whether my main points were communicated effectively. I treated this feedback similarly to how I would treat comments from a teacher or peer reviewer. I made revisions based on my own judgment about which suggestions improved my essay. All ideas, narrative choices, and final writing are my own.

When to use this: D1 and D2 schools where you used AI as a reviewer rather than a writer. This framing is honest and positions AI as one input among many.

School-Specific Requirements

Different schools ask for different things. Here is what three schools with notable policies actually expect:

Caltech (D2 / L2 / E1)

Caltech has one of the most clearly articulated AI policies in college admissions. Their application asks directly: "Did you receive any AI generated assistance in the preparation of your application materials?"

They specify acceptable uses: grammar and spelling review, generating brainstorming questions, and researching the application process. They prohibit: directly copying AI-generated content, using AI to draft or outline essays, and replacing personal voice with AI text.

Critically, Caltech states this disclosure is confidential and will not impact admissions decisions. They are gathering information, not penalizing honesty. Answer their question factually and you are fine.

Georgetown (D3 / L4 / E3)

Georgetown's undergraduate application prohibits AI use entirely: "use of AI tools to complete any portion of the application is prohibited." This is a D3 school with a mandatory attestation.

If you are applying to Georgetown, the expectation is clear. Do not use AI tools for any portion of your application essays. The attestation is not a disclosure opportunity. It is a certification that you did not use AI.

Note that Georgetown's Business School (D2/L2/E1) has a separate, more permissive policy that allows AI for support like brainstorming and grammar checking. Always check the specific program.

Stanford (D1 / L0 / E1)

Stanford encourages authentic voice, stating that "essays should allow the applicant's genuine voice to come through." As a D1 school, they do not have a mandatory disclosure field, but they encourage transparency.

If you used AI substantively while applying to Stanford, a brief voluntary disclosure in the Additional Information section is a smart move. Keep it to 2-3 sentences describing what you used and how.

Note: Stanford's Graduate School of Business (L4/D0/E3) is far stricter, stating that "It is improper to have another person or tool write your essays. Such behavior will result in denial."

Where to Put Your Disclosure

Common Application

1. Navigate to the Writing section
2. Find the Additional Information section (650-word limit)
3. Paste your disclosure statement there
4. If a school has AI-specific supplemental questions, answer those directly instead

The Additional Information section is designed for exactly this kind of supplemental context. It will not feel out of place there.

Coalition Application

1. Check each school's supplemental questions first
2. If there is an AI-specific question, answer it directly
3. If not, use the additional information or open-ended question sections
4. Coalition schools may have varying requirements, so review each one individually

School-Specific Portals

Some schools (like Georgetown's undergraduate application or Caltech) have their own application portals with built-in AI questions. When a school asks directly through their portal, answer there rather than adding a separate statement.

For schools with no built-in prompt, a brief note at the end of a supplemental essay or in an "anything else" section works well.

Generate Your Statement Now

Writing a disclosure statement does not need to take long. Our AI Disclosure Generator walks you through:

• Selecting which AI tools you used (ChatGPT, Claude, Grammarly, DeepL, and others)
• Categorizing your usage type (brainstorming, grammar, translation, feedback, content generation)
• Adding specific context about how you used the tools
• Optionally including AI detection verification results

It produces a professional, ready-to-paste statement in about 60 seconds. The generated statement includes a tools section, a nature of assistance section, and a statement of authenticity, which covers everything schools are looking for.

Check Your School's Specific Requirements

Before writing your disclosure, look up every school on your list in our AI Policies directory. It covers 150+ universities with verified disclosure codes (D0 through D3) so you know exactly what each school expects.

A D0 school does not need the same disclosure as a D2 school. Tailoring your approach to each school's policy is the difference between looking thoughtful and looking anxious.

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• Should You Tell Colleges You Used AI?
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• AI Attestation: What You're Actually Signing
• Which Colleges Use AI in Admissions?