What You Lose When AI Writes Your College Essay
When Ivy Link’s founder Adam Nguyen, a leading voice in admissions strategy with roots at Harvard and Columbia, spoke with Tatler Asia about how students are using AI, one concern came through clearly: it’s not just that students are using tools like ChatGPT—it’s how they’re using them, and what they’re giving up in the process.
At Ivy Link, it’s a scenario we see all the time.
A junior at a top-tier prep school gets a U.S. history writing assignment. Her week is already packed—SAT tutoring, Model UN, a leadership meeting for her service initiative, and a family trip on the calendar. She types the prompt into ChatGPT—something about the Federalist Papers—and in under a minute, she has a grammatically polished, 600-word essay.
She turns it in with barely a glance. It gets an A-minus.
But here’s the issue: she didn’t think through the argument. She didn’t weigh perspectives or connect it to her broader understanding of American government. She didn’t grow. Not as a thinker. Not as a writer. Not as a competitive candidate for the top-tier college she had her heart set on.
As Adam pointed out in his interview, AI has made it easier to get through schoolwork—but that ease can quietly replace the rigor of intellectual reflection. And that shortcut has consequences. Because while polished assignments might preserve a strong GPA, they don’t build the kind of insight, originality, or depth that top colleges value most.
And we understand why students turn to it. Many of the families we work with have students juggling international competitions, philanthropic work, and travel—all on top of a demanding academic load. AI feels like the smartest way to keep up. But when it becomes a crutch, it can erode confidence rather than build it.
In fact, students who over-rely on AI often lose touch with their own voice. They might feel good about what they submit—but as Adam shared, that confidence isn’t always rooted in real understanding. And when the time comes to speak about their work in interviews or craft essays that reveal who they are, that gap shows.
That doesn’t mean AI has no role to play. When used intentionally—with real guidance—it can enhance learning. Just as calculators didn’t eliminate the need to grasp math concepts, ChatGPT doesn’t remove the need to think critically. But it has to be guided.
That’s something we prioritize deeply at Ivy Link. Students may use AI to brainstorm or explore how others frame an idea—but the final essay always comes from their own experiences, voice, and insight and they never let the tool take over. Our mentors help them ask better questions, push their thinking further, and develop original insights—so they’re not just producing clean work, but meaningful work.
Because at the end of the day, AI can generate a decent essay. But it can’t explain how a novel made you feel. It can’t connect your family’s story to your academic path. It can’t make an admissions reader pause because a sentence revealed something deeply human and entirely you.
Top colleges don’t want polish—they want substance. Reflection. Original thinking. And that doesn’t come from shortcuts.
If you’re a high-achieving student—or the parent of one—you know how easy it is to prioritize performance over growth. But the most competitive applicants aren’t just doers. They’re thinkers with a voice.
At Ivy Link, we work one-on-one with students to go deeper—to sharpen ideas, strengthen writing, and develop the kind of perspective that elite schools value most. Schedule a consultation with Ivy Link and learn how we help students think beyond the prompt—and toward their fullest potential.
