Skip to content

GRADPILOT

Does My Recommender Need a .edu Email? The Truth About LOR Email Domains and Letterhead

Graduate programs have different rules about recommender email addresses and letterhead. Some ban Gmail outright, others just scrutinize it more. Here's what the policies actually say.

·8 min read

How to Explain Low GPA in Your SOP (7 Templates That Work)

Your 2.7 GPA doesn't have to kill your grad school dreams. Address setbacks in 2-4 sentences that turn weaknesses into strengths. 7 copy-ready templates.

·12 min read

Stop Writing Hooks for Your Statement of Purpose—Graduate Schools Hate Them

The childhood story opening appears 1,779 times annually in graduate applications. Here's what actually works: frame narratives, the 4 Ws technique, and why 90% of applicants get their introductions catastrophically wrong.

·9 min read

TA/RA/GA Funding for International MS Students: 10:1 Odds

502,000 international grad students compete for ~240,000 assistantships. Only 10% of international MS students get funded. See the real numbers by field.

·15 min read

Pangram Labs: The AI Detector Replacing Turnitin at Colleges

UChicago research shows Pangram achieves near-zero false positives vs Turnitin's failures. Vanderbilt, UC schools already switching. See the data.

·9 min read

AI Reads Your Essays: Virginia Tech, UCLA, Penn State Proof

Virginia Tech uses AI to score essays. UCLA Anderson and Penn State run Turnitin checks. Documented proof of which schools use machines to read applications.

·10 min read

What AI Detectors Do Colleges Use? $110K Spending Exposed

Universities spend $2,768 to $110,400 yearly on Turnitin and Copyleaks. Many are disabling them due to false positives. See what your school actually uses.

·8 min read

SOP vs Personal Statement: What's the Difference? (Templates)

Some schools require both. Stanford, Cornell, Berkeley each want different things. See what top universities ask for plus templates for each type.

·10 min read

International Student LOR Guide: US University Policies

US universities verify LORs and enforce policies against applicant-written letters. Learn the real rules plus ethical templates for strong recommendations.

·9 min read

Which Colleges Use AI to Read Essays? UNC, Virginia Tech List

UNC uses AI to score essays since 2019. Virginia Tech starts in 2025. See which colleges actually use AI for admissions with verified sources.

·8 min read

Turnitin Fails: 15% Miss Rate & 750 Wrongly Flagged Students

Turnitin misses 15% of AI text while wrongly flagging 750+ innocent students at one university. Vanderbilt disabled it. See what's replacing it.

·7 min read

Do Colleges Use AI Detectors? Turnitin's 4% Error Rate (2025)

40% of colleges use AI detectors, but Turnitin's 4% false positive rate wrongly flags 1 in 25 sentences. See what detectors colleges actually use and how to protect yourself.

·10 min read