It is human nature to want to do what you have been told to avoid. When someone says, “Don’t use AI for master’s application essays,” the instinctive response is often an eye roll, followed by a quiet dash to ChatGPT or other generative AI platforms. You are not alone. A survey by KPMG reveals that 74 percent of students plan to use artificial intelligence during their applications. The temptation is understandable. A few prompts, a pass through a humaniser, and the task appears complete. That assumption, however, is where problems begin. Before falling into a trap that can do more harm than good, it is worth unpacking the difference between using AI wisely and relying on it in ways that can seriously jeopardise an application.
Plagiarism vs. AI Plagiarism: Understanding the difference
A common misconception is that AI-generated writing doesn’t constitute plagiarism.
Traditional plagiarism, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, is “the process or practice of using another person’s ideas or work and pretending it is your own.” AI plagiarism goes a step further. It’s not just about copying. It’s about outsourcing your thinking and writing to a machine. In some ways, traditional plagiarism is the lesser offence; at least it suggests you made a choice. With AI, you’ve skipped the thinking process altogether.
Even if no sentence is copied verbatim, AI plagiarism occurs when your essay’s structure, ideas, or tone are shaped entirely by a chatbot, not by you. It signals a lack of original thought, reflection, or expression—all qualities universities actively seek. That’s why many institutions now include AI misuse in their integrity policies and use tools like Turnitin to flag both copied and AI-generated content.
This distinction matters deeply for applicants relying on AI for master’s application essays, as universities increasingly treat misuse as an integrity concern.
| Traditional Plagiarism | AI Plagiarism |
| Copying someone else’s exact words or ideas | Relying on AI to generate ideas, structure, and tone of your essay |
| Suggests a deliberate act of imitation | Indicates a lack of original thinking or personal input |
| Often involves identifiable, duplicated content | May produce unique text, but still lacks authenticity or self-reflection |
| Easier to detect through standard plagiarism tools | Detected using AI-specific detectors like Turnitin’s AI writing tool |
Why AI-Written Essays Are Easy to Spot
You might think you’ve outsmarted the system by tweaking an AI-generated draft, swapping a few words, adding a personal line or two. But have you really?
Admissions officers aren’t new to essays. They read hundreds, sometimes thousands, of them each cycle. Over time, they develop an instinct for spotting language that looks polished but feels empty. AI-written essays recycle ideas, use overly sophisticated yet generic phrasing, and follow a predictable, mechanical rhythm. The result? An essay that may look right but doesn’t feel right.
Additionally, admissions offices are already arming themselves against AI-generated content. In 2023, an Intelligent survey of 399 admissions professionals reported that 56 percent of departments already use AI tools in application review, and 82 percent expect to do so by 2024. We’re in 2025, and these numbers have already risen.
We’ve even built a “ChatGPT Dictionary” at The Red Pen. It is a running list of phrases and sentence constructions frequently found in AI drafts. These expressions might sound articulate at first glance, but they often lack the nuance, vulnerability, and voice that make a real story compelling.
That said, the solution isn’t to reject AI altogether. The key is to use it as a tool, not a ghostwriter. Let it support your thinking, rather than take its place. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the risks before deciding how to approach AI for master’s application essays.
Smart vs risky ways to use AI for master’s application essays
If used correctly, AI can streamline your application journey without compromising authenticity. However, there’s a fine line between using AI to support your application and letting it take over. Let’s delve deeper
Smart ways to approach AI for master’s application essays
1) Research with direction, not dependence
AI can give you a quick jumpstart when exploring universities, courses, or niche programmes. Want a shortlist of schools with strong offerings in sustainability or data analytics? ChatGPT can generate one in seconds. However, remember that speed isn’t always accuracy. Always verify details directly on official university websites, as the accuracy of large language models is still uncertain. Medical researchers measured a 28.6 percent hallucination rate for GPT-4 when asked to generate academic references. In AI, hallucination refers to a model generating information that sounds plausible but is factually incorrect or entirely fabricated.
2) Navigate faculty interests with context
ChatGPT can offer an initial snapshot of a department’s research focus or faculty expertise. Use this as a launchpad, not a final destination. Once you’ve got the basics, head to faculty pages, read recent publications, or scan lab websites for up-to-date insights. At The Red Pen, we’ve seen that while AI can set the direction, it’s prone to oversights. Curiosity and cross-checking remain non-negotiable.
3) Polish. Don’t outsource your writing
Already drafted your Statement of Purpose? Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway are great for improving clarity and flow. AI-powered editors like The Red Pen INK can also help refine structure or language. But the heart of your essay—your voice, story, and motivation—must remain entirely yours. When your writing reflects thoughtful ownership, it naturally aligns with the tone and content of other elements in your application, including your Letters of Recommendation.
How not to use AI in your application journey
1) Don’t let AI write your first draft
Starting your Statement of Purpose with a prompt to ChatGPT may feel efficient, but it’s the fastest way to lose your unique voice. AI-generated drafts tend to be generic, overly polished, and emotionally flat. They lack the introspection and self-awareness that admissions officers genuinely seek. An article by Wired highlights that Turnitin, a service that checks papers for plagiarism, reports that its detection tool identified millions of documents that may contain a significant amount of AI-generated content.
2) Don’t count on humaniser tools to fool the system
Running an AI draft through a paraphrasing tool won’t turn it into original work. Changing a few words doesn’t add depth or authenticity. And here’s the truth most applicants overlook: many experts who helped train today’s AI models also sit on admissions committees. They know the patterns, the tone, and the tricks, and can spot them instantly.
3) Don’t assume AI understands context
AI tools can generate convincing language, but they lack the ability to understand nuance. They can’t distinguish between what’s meaningful and what’s merely impressive-sounding. The result? Essays that hit all the right notes, but say nothing real. Your story deserves more than surface-level polish. It requires context, reflection, and intention —things only you can provide.
| Smart Use of AI | Risky Use of AI |
| Generating preliminary research lists (universities, topics) | Asking AI to write your first draft |
| Exploring faculty profiles to identify research interests | Assuming AI understands academic nuance |
| Editing grammar, flow, and tone with tools like Grammarly | Running AI text through paraphrasers or “humanisers” |
| Brainstorming essay outlines or questions | Submitting essays with AI-generated structures and phrases |
What exactly do universities want to see in your essay?
Short answer: Not polish. Not perfection. Not buzzwords strung together by a chatbot. They want to see you—your voice, your questions, your evolving ideas. They want to understand what excites you about your chosen field, how your lived experiences shape your perspective, and what you’ll bring to the classroom beyond just credentials. Admissions committees aren’t seeking finished products. If you had all the answers, there’d be nothing left for them to teach. What they value is curiosity, honesty, and a willingness to grow. They invest in potential—the kind that’s rooted in self-awareness, not performance. At The Red Pen, we encourage students to write essays that reflect their true identity.
| What Universities Don’t Want to See in Your Essay | What Universities Want to See in Your Essay |
| Perfection or over-polished language | A clear, authentic voice |
| Buzzwords and academic jargon | Lived experience and personal insight |
| Flawless structure from a chatbot | Evolving ideas, thoughtful self-reflection |
| Generic ambition | Specific motivation rooted in identity and purpose |
We believe that the best essays are personal, not perfect. Contact us if you need assistance with your essays or Statement of Purpose. Our postgraduate essay experts will never write your essay for you. However, they will help you identify impactful life experiences, assist with structuring, and undergo multiple rounds of edits—all so that it can genuinely reflect your authentic self. Read our blogs: The Statement of Purpose (SOP) – Your Voice in a Master’s Application and Common Mistakes in Master’s Application Essays for Studying Abroad.
