The noise surrounding the college admission process each year has increased due to the adoption of ChatGPT and other AI tools. Analysts are concerned about how ChatGPT will affect educational equity if the college essay will endure and whether students will cheat. Proctored and handwritten essays or submitting portfolio items in place of essays are two options being proposed in college admissions for the first two issues. Common App postponed the distribution of its prompts, probably because of worries about ChatGPT.
There are ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the college admissions process during the research and application phases, despite the fact that many people on ChatGPT need clarification on the function and value of the college essay.
Get ready for campus tours.
Students frequently need clarification on what questions to ask during campus tours. Use artificial intelligence to help you come up with some questions before setting out on a long journey for a college tour. Here is an example of a question you might ask: You could get ready for your journey with the aid of ChatGPT:
Play the part of a prospective student who is interested in engineering, the debate team, and Asian-American life on campus and is visiting Vanderbilt University.
What queries should I raise with my tour guide during a college visit? With the “Act as” function in ChatGPT, you can insert personal information about your life and the desired characteristics to receive a more tailored response for your needs and preferences.
Please tell me about 1-2 initiatives or academic programs that people on campus currently discuss. ChatGPT did not produce a personal favorite human tour. This question is valuable because it gives students some ideas for what areas of campus life to emphasize in college essays, depending on current events.
Make a timeline for your college applications.
Many students and families find it challenging to manage all of the duties involved in the college application process. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help you stay organized and set your deadlines.
Research Net Cost of Colleges Is The Most Important Financial Aid Metric
Not tuition and fees, but the net price is crucial when assessing college expenditures. It equals out-of-pocket costs less grants, loans, and tax credits for education. Instead of asking about tuition and fees, you should use that phrase when contacting ChatGPT to inquire about the net pricing for the universities you’re considering. You should also obtain links to each college’s net price estimators to determine your anticipated out-of-pocket costs.
Make Your Customized College List
You have various requirements for a college as students and parents, including location, size, a list of potential majors, and net price. According to your requirements, the query for ChatGPT miI needs a list of institutions, along with links to their websites, that are between 6 and 8 hours’ drive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and have net prices averaging between $10,000 and $20,000. These universities should offer engineering majors, a vibrant fraternity scene, and flexible course options. Give a tabular version of the response.
While AI is not a replacement for campus visits, virtual information sessions, or college fairs, it is a fantastic tool for creating a preliminary list of colleges based on your criteria and finding new universities you may have yet to think about. After receiving the initial list from ChatGPT, you can investigate these universities’ specific programs, resources, and admissions data to confirm that they meet your needs.
Learn About Relevant Scholarships
Even though there are numerous places where you can search for scholarships, AI can compile a list of possibilities for you based on your academic standing, identity groupings, affiliations, and other characteristics. The data on ChatGPT is only available through 2021, thus if you want the most recent results, you must include this year in your query:
I’m an aspiring undergraduate student searching for financial aid. I am a neurodivergent woman with a 4.0 GPA and a 1550 SAT score, among other things. I excel at debate and lacrosse and have won prizes in both sports. Give me a list of scholarships I can apply for starting in 2022, along with information about the awards and websites where I may learn more. Provide a tabular response. You can then go back to the timeline query I mentioned above and begin structuring your scholarship deadlines after you have the list of scholarships.
Last but not least, if you like what you see on your ChatGPT lists, you may ask again, “Can you add more to this list?” While using a single AI tool in your college search and discovery process cannot replace in-depth research and face-to-face interaction, it provides a way to jumpstart and supercharge your college application process in a way that has never been possible.
