What kind of tool is it and where it can play a cruel joke on you
ChatGPT is now on everyone's lips, from schoolchildren to professors. This is a large language model based on artificial intelligence, which can quickly answer questions, select words and formulate coherent texts. It sounds convenient: you ask a question and get a ready-made answer! It is not surprising that many applicants think: what if you instruct AI to write a motivation letter or essay for the university? The time savings are enormous: the text is competent, without errors and in a couple of seconds. But this is where the catch lies...
The dangers of relying entirely on ChatGPT
ChatGPT doesn't invent unique stories — it takes pre-existing pieces of information and puts them together into new text. The output is smooth, but impersonal.
Imagine: dozens of students ask ChatGPT for help with an essay. As a result, their letters turn out to be similar to each other — style, structure, even phrases. The admissions committee feels this instantly, and universities are looking for people with live experience and intrinsic motivation, and not identical carbon copy texts.
Another problem: AI doesn't know your life. It will not tell you why you chose this university, what event prompted you to choose a profession, or how you differ from others. As a result, the email looks right, but it's blank because you don't have you in it.
How universities react
American universities are already actively discussing the use of AI. In some cases, the rules are strict: if the text is entirely written by ChatGPT, it is equated with plagiarism. The risks are serious: refusal of admission, academic sanctions or even expulsion (for students who are already studying).
In other universities, the approach is softer: ChatGPT can be used as an assistant, but not as a substitute for personal work. The main requirement is one – the text must be yours, and not "generated to order".
Where does ChatGPT really help?
It is possible to use artificial intelligence, but wisely. For example:
- For ideas: when you don't know where to start an essay;
- For structure: to sort out thoughts and make a plan;
- To check the language, especially if you write documents in English.
At the same time, it is important to adapt everything to yourself. Found an interesting idea? Add your experience, personal details, emotions to it! Then the text will become alive.
What you definitely shouldn't do
- Copy the entire ChatGPT text and send it as your own.
- Add fictional facts and achievements.
This immediately puts your reputation at risk. Universities value honesty more than perfectly calibrated wording.
Why is it better to write yourself
A motivation letter is not a formality. This is your chance to tell who you are, what your values are, what led you to your chosen profession. AI can help with form, but the content should be yours. In the end, the decisive factor will not be how "smoothly" the text is written, but how much it reflects you. Universities are looking for personalities, not sets of beautiful words!
