admissions essay plagiarism

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It’s a point of pride for many institutions to view their applicant pool as the cream of the crop, obviously untainted by plagiarism or cheating. It’s also the purpose of an admissions committee to peruse applications without suspicion or bias. Therefore, it’s easiest to assume that applications are honest representations of student potential.

But are they?

If students who engage in plagiarism are the most vulnerable and desperate students—why wouldn’t those behaviors cross over into the world of higher education admissions?

The realm of admissions is fraught for students. Competition is fierce . Students may feel desperate. The stakes are very, very high; students feel their entire future is based on which university they attend. For so many, their entire remembering lives focus on this very moment.

Even decades later, every moment of my own college applications process remains vivid in my memory. I still have nightmares (along with the one about missing a final exam) about the admissions process. I remember reading samples of successful college essays and yearning to write such winning statements. I remember aching over every word as I wrote my own essay. I remember the feeling of being judged. Of not being “enough.” I remember running to the mailbox for months, dreaming of big envelopes. I remember cohorts at school sharing to which universities they’d been accepted. I remember the counseling center holding Ivy League acceptances in the spotlight.

This emotional battleground may sound familiar—these are all the components that put students at risk of plagiarism. These are factors that leave students, not to mention their parents, vulnerable to plagiarism and dishonesty.

So what happens under temptation? When one makes decisions under stress, one thinks about what one can live with. One wonders if what one is doing is legal.

Is lying on your application essay against the law ? So far, none of the students in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal have been charged—the charges have instead named parents and largely focused on money laundering, mail fraud, and racketeering . So while lying on your application essay is clearly an act of misconduct, the message is that it may not be “against the law.”

So what’s the message here? Just don’t get caught? The act of cheating fades into the background in the world of legal ramifications, and in the foreground are consequences for the ways in which payment was made. Also in the foreground are the universities themselves, whose reputations are on the line. So who’ s at risk?

When firms exist to coach students through the application process, sometimes crossing over into essay mill territory , they take control of the narrative and make this territory morally ambiguous. As a result, “getting help” on college applications isn’ t presented with moral clarity to students.

Another moral litmus test is the question, “What would your mother think?” If you felt your parents wanted you to go to an elite college, above all else—it’s logical to think your mom would approve, let alone participate in misconduct .

Are we making clear how vulnerable college applications are to cheating? And how cheating is tempting? And the ways in which one can justify dishonesty?

It’s common for institutions to say they don’t have a problem with plagiarized application essays. To say, “No way would anyone who applies to our institution plagiarize.” Or to say, “There’s no way to plagiarize a personal statement because it’s so personal.”

Janet D. Stemwedel, notes in her article, “ When Applicants for Medical Residencies Plagiarize ,” that 5.2% of 4,975 medical residency personal statements contained evidence of plagiarism.

When you admit someone who’s plagiarized or outsourced their application essay into your institution, you’re poisoning your culture. How can you expect someone who’s plagiarized their way through admissions to embrace an ethical culture on campus? How can you expect someone who’s plagiarized their application essay to uphold academic integrity?

The studies are only now being conducted on links between plagiarized application essays and subsequent instances of plagiarism on campus. The preliminary anecdotes make clear the possibility of a connection.

So the short answer is that you cannot expect someone who’s plagiarized their application essay to uphold academic integrity on campus. You must make plagiarism detection a part of your institution’s admissions process. You must free up your admissions committee to read applications without suspicion.

We’ve already seen through various admissions scandals the stain they leave on an institution’s reputation . We’ve already seen through various admissions scandals the short cuts and side doors people are willing to take to enter higher education. What’s stopping students who got away with cheating on their applications from continuing this pattern of misconduct once on campus?

As we stated earlier, earlier academic dishonesty leads to later workplace deviance .

And yes—the majority of students don’t cheat on their applications. The majority of students don’t outsource their application essays. The majority of students don’t plagiarize. But are you comfortable with even 1% acceptance of students who cheated on their applications? Of students for whom “short-cut” answers are an acceptable component of their playbook?

In a 2012 Insider Higher Education article entitled, “ Dishonorable Conduct? ” written in response to a cheating scandal at Harvard University , Allie Grasgreen states, “Perhaps the main culprit in such behavior, experts say, one that is ingrained deeply in college students today—particularly at elite universities like Harvard—is the idea that the main objective should be to pass, not to learn.”

In the same article, Teddi Fishman, director of Clemson University’s International Center for Academic Integrity , says:

“The students who make it to us (and especially the ones who end up in schools like Harvard) have learned exactly what they have to do to succeed, and sadly, that often has very little to do with becoming educated….Instead, it’s almost solely about figuring out what will be asked (in papers, tests, and other assessments), learning that material long enough to produce it when necessary, and then moving on to the next thing.”

Fishman says that for many students, the educational process “is simply a means to an end.”

This on-campus cheating and short-cut mentality could just as easily be applied to application essays, with the singular objective being “get accepted.” It goes to follow that such a person would bring that short-cut mentality with them onto your campus. It’s endemic to the environment, and while it shouldn’t exist at all, you must make sure they do not enter your gates.

And vice versa—someone who has the basis for academic honesty going in will be way more likely to uphold academic integrity. And we can surmise that ensuring the admission of honest students would then decrease plagiarism cases and scandals, thereby upholding an institution’s academic reputation. Who would you bet on to represent you throughout the course of a lifetime?

Want to uphold academic integrity in your admissions process? Learn more about iThenticate .

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Ban or Embrace? Colleges Wrestle With A.I.-Generated Admissions Essays.

A.I. chatbots could facilitate plagiarism on college applications or democratize student access to writing help. Or maybe both.

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By Natasha Singer

Natasha Singer reports on the ways that tech giants and their tools are reshaping education.

Rick Clark, the executive director of undergraduate admission at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and his staff spent weeks this summer pretending to be high school students using A.I. chatbots to fill out college applications.

The admissions officers each took on a different high school persona: swim team captain, Eagle Scout, musical theater performer. Then they fed personal details about the fictional students into ChatGPT, prompting the A.I. chatbot to produce the kind of extracurricular activity lists and personal essays commonly required on college applications.

Mr. Clark said he wanted to get a handle on how A.I. chatbots might reshape the admissions process this fall — the start of the first full academic year that the tools will be widely available to high school seniors — and come up with guidance for students applying to Georgia Tech.

“Students on some level are going to have access to and use A.I.,” Mr. Clark said. “The big question is: How do we want to direct them, knowing that it’s out there and available to them?”

The easy availability of A.I. chatbots like ChatGPT, which can manufacture humanlike text in response to short prompts, is poised to upend the traditional undergraduate application process at selective colleges — ushering in an era of automated plagiarism or of democratized student access to essay-writing help. Or maybe both.

The digital disruption comes at a turning point for institutions of higher education across the United States. After the Supreme Court ruled in June that race-based university admissions programs were illegal, some selective universities and colleges had hoped to rely more on essay questions — about applicants’ upbringing, identities and communities — to help foster diversity on campus.

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Preventing Plagiarism in Your Statement of Purpose or Admissions Essay

• November 25, 2021

Whether you’re writing a statement of purpose or an admissions essay as part of your application to study abroad, there are few things more intimidating than staring at a blank page. As international students work on applications, it may seem easier (and faster) to borrow ideas from others. However, whether it’s a friend’s essay or a stranger’s post on the internet, plagiarism can seriously hurt your chances of admission to the college or university of your dreams. And if you copy a friend’s work, their admission may be at risk, too.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines plagiarism as “the act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to that person.” So, what should you avoid? Plagiarism can vary from paraphrasing to copy-pasting from other sources. In fact, even copying your own writing by deliberately or accidentally re-using parts of it can get you in trouble.

With thousands of applications every year, many institutions use software to check an application’s originality. As far back as 2013, over 100 colleges and universities in the United States compared student essays to a database of published writing with customized apps. At first, these tools were used for postgraduate admissions, but are now also commonly used on undergraduate applications.

Your essay or statement is the first chance you have to prove that you’ll bring original thought and integrity to your studies. Why are you a top candidate? What has prepared you to excel? Answer these questions in your own words, and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind story. 

Effective Application Writing

Use your application to share why you’re a strong fit for this institution, and why you’d like to study abroad with them. Your writing must be clear, but you don’t always have to use complicated language to impress the admissions committee. 

Instead, as you’re planning the writing piece, look carefully at what the university or college is asking for. Demonstrating that you understand the request, and can answer with strong, concise prose is more impressive than complex language, if the latter isn’t a style you’re comfortable writing in.

Writing an Application or Admissions Essay? 

An application or admissions essay is more common at the undergraduate level at schools in the United States. Colleges and universities use these pieces to differentiate your application from others with similar grades and test scores.

Your essay is the best opportunity to share why you’re interested in your target program, and how your studies and life lessons have made you a great candidate. It’s more personal compared to a statement of purpose, so share your goals and dreams that relate to this course!

Admissions Essays Should Include:

• Who are you, and what qualities will you bring to this institution?
• Why this college or university? Why this program? 
• Past experiences, both academic and extracurricular. Share the ones that tie closely to your program, where possible.
• What drives you? How did you get to where you are today, and where do you want to be?
• If you have a study gap, share why it happened. Gaps won’t always hurt your chances, especially if you explain how what you did or learned during that time makes you a stronger candidate.

Writing a Statement of Purpose (SOP)? 

SOPs focus more on where you plan to go, from your research interests to future aspirations. Conversely, admissions essays focus more on your past experiences. SOPs are more formal in tone than an admissions essay, and more commonly seen at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Australia and the United Kingdom, and postgraduate level for entry into Canadian and American institutions. 

It’s worth noting that because undergraduate degrees in the UK are three years, and dive into specialized classes right away, your UK statement of purpose (or personal statement) should be focused on the course you are taking, where US admissions essays tend to illustrate why a student is a good fit for the college or university where they’re applying.

Statements of Purpose Should Include:

• Highlights of your academic and professional experiences. 
• What has prepared you to excel in this course?
• How did you become interested in this research area or course? Were there mentors or other influential people who supported your interest?
• Share your commitment to your area of study, and what you plan to do after graduation. 

  Follow these guidelines to create a strong statement of purpose!  

Practice Makes Perfect

As you work on your application, share your writing with someone else, such as a professor, family member, or recruitment partner if you’re working with one. See where they think you can add something, or change the wording. 

Read your writing out loud to see how it flows. If you can’t finish a sentence without gasping for breath, the sentence is too long. Lastly, keep your writing short and impactful, as there are often only a few minutes to impress the application team.

Looking for ways to organize your writing or stay focused? Check out these apps to support your writing process !

Be Original

Plagiarizing your admissions essay or statement tells institutions that you’ll probably continue to copy others’ work after being admitted. Even the risk of this can hurt an institution’s reputation. Understandably, colleges and universities want to protect their reputation, so they are vigilant around preventing plagiarism.

Once you’re admitted to an international campus, your instructors may continue to check for plagiarism using tools like Copyleaks , SafeAssign , and Turnitin , so it’s important to start this chapter of your studies by establishing good habits. It may seem hard sometimes, but in the words of writer and speaker Seth Godin , you’ll get there with time and patience. He shares: 

“There’s no such thing as writer’s block. There’s simply a fear of bad writing. Do enough bad writing and some good writing is bound to show up.”

Best wishes on your applications, and as you start your study abroad journey!

Ready to go? Search the ApplyBoard Platform to connect with over 140,000 study abroad programs .

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What Are the Consequences of Plagiarism in College Applications?

• September 14, 2021

In This Blog

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Most students dream of joining a good college, and of course, it is their top priority. They are busy filling out applications, writing essays , and a statement of purpose, which can help them set themselves apart from tons of university applications. In this effort, several students try to cheat by copying content from the Internet, which will rob their chance of getting into a top college. The consequences of plagiarism in college applications are severe and colleges are in a better position at detecting it.

Special Tip: If college applications are already done painstakingly and you’re worried about tying the loose financial ends of student loans, don’t forget to check out our article on the Best Ways to Prepare for GRE .

How Does Plagiarism in College Applications Occur?

Educational institutions, especially colleges and universities receive a large number of applications from students. Are those applications free of plagiarism? It is true that students are desperate to get into one of the leading colleges in the world. When competition is fierce and the stakes high, they try different ways to have the winning statements in the application get shortlisted.

The students who are vulnerable try to use someone’s work or engage an essay mill to write on a topic of their interest. What makes students resort to unethical practices? When consequences of plagiarism are becoming more severe, and chances of detecting plagiarism are higher using the advanced tools, students are still accused of plagiarism as they keep taking the risk of doing it. Here are some reasons why plagiarism happens in college applications.

• Fear of Losing

Unlike the students in the past, the students today are under tremendous pressure of doing more. They are always under stress to score good grades to acquire scholarships, get admissions in a university, get a job or internship, and so on. For these, they need to write well to demonstrate their potential skills, which is difficult for many students. When they are not confident about their writing skills but are desperately looking for a high grade, they are induced to cheat, which leads to college application plagiarism. Students do not wish to cheat, but the fear of failure forces them to take a chance.

• Score Higher Grade

The other way round is most students want to score higher grades to join one of the best universities in the country or world. They think that their future depends on this, and spend most of the time thinking about scoring better. With parents joining them, they are emotionally challenged. All these make them take a risk of cheating or causing plagiarism.

How Can You Avoid It?

There are numerous ways to prevent plagiarism in university applications.

• Students can be educated on what is plagiarism and the different types of plagiarism. When writing application essays, plagiarism occurs unintentionally owing to inadequate summarizing and paraphrasing, confusion regarding what is common knowledge, lack of understanding about citation styles and wrong conceptualizing of patch-writing.
• They should learn how to paraphrase a text in their own words, understand what is quoting and summarizing.
• Make proper notes when using a text from the original source, and provide appropriate citations according to the writing style.
• They need to know to use quotation marks when using the original test and cite it properly.

Using a Plagiarism Checker

Students should be made aware of the use of advanced plagiarism checkers , which can detect any type of plagiarism in college application essays. The tool can scan and deliver the results in seconds. A plagiarism checker for universities can conduct in-depth scanning by checking an extensive range of external sources, as well as internal sources for any similar content.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology facilitates the easy detection of files in all Unicode languages. Other than this, it helps scan physical content using OCR technology. The grading tool helps score the application essays easily and effectively.

Consequences of Plagiarism in a College Application

If you are not true on your college applications, is it unlawful? There are no instances of students charged for such practices. Nevertheless, the consequences of plagiarism or cheating are not small. The college admission committee will reject applications if they find strong evidence of plagiarism in admission essays. Such an action is a warning for students to not fail in complying with the codes of conduct that affect academic integrity. Most educational institutions are spending a lot of time and energy steering clear of plagiarism in college admissions. Students are educated on the outcomes and new resources to help them avoid plagiarism.

By rejecting applications, the admission committee at the university dissuades students to carry the cheating or copying tendency to the campus. They claim that such students cannot uphold academic honesty, as well as adopt the ethical culture on campus. The severity of consequences does not end there, students responsible for cheating will face expulsion from college and destruction of reputation. They will be rejected by other institutions and may have to face any legal action for copyright infringement.

Sometimes, the original author will have to be compensated for breaking the copyright law. You should also be worried about being questioned by the college administration staff, where your academic qualifications, objectives, and dream are questioned. You lose your teachers’ faith and respect, which you gained through your academic effort and honesty. You cannot afford to lose it by an unethical act. It is found that students who have gotten away with plagiarism detection on their college essays may continue this form of misconduct on college campuses and later on the job. Thus, cheating on college applications through shortcuts may harm the ethical environment of the campus. As it grows to become endemic, it should be stopped at the gates itself.

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May 16, 2024

What Are the Consequences of College Essay Plagiarism?

Plagiarism has always been frowned upon by college admissions committees (and college honor policies!), but with the rise of AI writing softwares, the problem has taken on new proportions. It is  never  okay to pass off someone else’s writing as your own on college applications, but this extends to using AI to write parts or all of an essay , supplement, or portfolio. With these technologies still very new, and regulation still in its infancy, many students do not yet understand the gravity of using AI to write applications or do their assignments for them. We at  Ivy Coach  unequivocally denounce the practice, and we assure any skeptical applicants that risks of using AI far outweigh the supposed benefits. 

Why Students Should Not Turn to Plagiarism (Including AI) to Write Their Essays

Some students turn to plagiarism or AI for a quick and easy fix for their writing woes. While the downside of traditional plagiarism is obvious (one Google search and the plagiarized passages will be revealed), some see AI as an enticing alternative that is less detectable than wholesale copying. But using such softwares brings a whole new caliber of risks. For one thing, AI writing is repetitive, uninspired, and riddled with factual errors. The technology simply does not write with the same fluency as a talented, highly selective college-bound high schooler. Admissions committees read  a lot  of applications in a given cycle, and it’s highly likely that they already have ways to detect the fingerprints of various AI writing styles (which likely use AI themselves!).

All offers of admission are conditional . It’s in the not-so-fine print! Even if colleges don’t notice any plagiarism at first, they will not hesitate to rescind an offer of admission if the truth comes out. Even years after a student has enrolled, getting expelled will still be a possibility for those who plagiarized. For students who need extra help when writing their essays, they should turn to admissions experts for proofreading, editing, and feedback. These traditional methods of perfecting writing are available to all high schoolers and are encouraged by college admissions offices, leaving would-be plagiarizers with no excuse for their actions.

But none of that should even matter, because using AI is unethical. Colleges want to get to know  you , not some robot who does a poor job of parroting you. Even if AI reaches new technological heights, it will never be a substitute for the personal flair that comes through the most well-written essays. At best, these AI-facilitated writing samples will be received poorly for their cookie-cutter approach, but at worst, using AI on an application would be grounds for rejection. Highly selective colleges do not need  any  reason to reject an applicant, but that would surely be a good one!

Ivy Coach Calls on the Common App to Implement AI Detection Software

College admissions offices and the  Common App.  have either  declined to comment or released ambiguous messaging  when it comes to the use of AI-facilitated writing, leaving many high schoolers scrambling for answers. These organizations need to take a stand and clarify their positions before more high schoolers take part in a practice that they do not even realize could put them in hot water with prospective colleges. All emerging technologies go through a process in which their use is regulated, and AI should be no exception.

It’s high time that more regulation be put into place to halt the epidemic of plagiarized and AI-facilitated writing on college applications (and in colleges themselves!). Ivy Coach calls upon The Common App. to implement plagiarism detection software, which includes AI-detection, to screen all applications for foul play and alert prospective colleges. A spot at an elite institution should never be given to a student who has taken the easy way out when there are plenty of hard working, honest high schoolers who submit their own work. 

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The Perils of Plagiarizing Your College Application Essay

Kate Sliunkova

AdmitYogi, Stanford MBA & MA in Education

Applying to college can be a daunting task, with many moving parts to keep in mind. Amongst the most critical is an application essay, often viewed as the most personal part of the admissions process. This essay is supposed to give admissions officers an insight into who you are as a person, your passions, and your goals. However, many students make the grave mistake of plagiarizing their application essays, which can have severe consequences. In this article, we'll discuss the perils of plagiarism in college application essays and what you can do to avoid it.

Understanding Plagiarism in College Applications

Before we get started, it's essential to understand what plagiarism is and why it is such a significant issue in college application essays. At its core, plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's ideas or words as your own, without giving them proper credit. In other words, it's cheating and is taken very seriously in academic settings.

Plagiarism is not only unethical but can also have severe consequences for students. It can lead to a loss of credibility, academic sanctions, and even expulsion from school. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it in your college application essays.

What Constitutes Plagiarism

Plagiarism can take many forms but is most commonly found in the following examples:

• Copying and pasting content from another website or source without proper citation.
• Paraphrasing someone else's words too closely and not giving them credit.
• Using someone else's ideas or arguments without acknowledging them.
• Having someone else write your essay for you and passing it off as your own work.

It is essential to understand that plagiarism is not limited to written content. It can also occur in images, graphs, and other forms of media. Therefore, it is crucial to give proper credit to the original source in all aspects of your college application.

Common Types of Plagiarism in Application Essays

The pressure to create a perfect application can lead to plagiarism in several ways. Some common types of plagiarism found in college application essays include:

• Using essays from other applications or online sources and changing a few words to make it "yours."
• Copying and pasting from your previous work without proper citation.
• Copying from other people's essays or buying essays online and submitting them as your own.

It is crucial to remember that college application essays are an opportunity for you to showcase your unique perspective and personality. Admissions officers want to hear your voice and your story, not someone else's. Therefore, it is essential to avoid plagiarism and write original content that reflects who you are as a person.

Additionally, many colleges now use plagiarism detection software to ensure the authenticity of application essays. Therefore, even if you think you can get away with plagiarism, the risk of getting caught is high, and the consequences can be severe.

In conclusion, plagiarism is a serious issue in college application essays that can have severe consequences for students. It is essential to understand what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it in your writing. Remember, your college application essay is an opportunity to showcase your unique perspective and personality, so be authentic and write from the heart.

The consequences of plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offense that can have severe consequences, both academically and personally. It is a breach of academic integrity and can lead to numerous negative outcomes.

Rejection from Colleges and Universities

One of the most significant consequences of plagiarism is the rejection of college and university applications. Admissions officers are experienced in identifying copied content, and if they catch you plagiarizing, your application is unlikely to make it past the initial screening process. This can severely impact your academic and career prospects, as you may miss out on the opportunity to attend your desired institution.

Moreover, colleges and universities have strict plagiarism policies, and if caught, you may face disciplinary action, including failing classes or even being expelled from school.

Damage to Academic Reputation

Being caught plagiarizing can damage your academic reputation, and it may also affect your future applications to graduate school or jobs. In academic and professional settings, integrity is highly valued, and being caught plagiarizing can lead to a loss of trust and respect from peers and colleagues. This can have long-term negative impacts on your career prospects and personal life.

Legal and Financial Ramifications

Plagiarism is not only an ethical violation but also an illegal act. It can result in legal action taken against you, including copyright infringement charges. This can lead to financial issues due to loss of scholarships and grants, legal fees, and a tarnished reputation that can impact future employability.

In addition, plagiarism can also have personal consequences, such as guilt, shame, and a loss of self-esteem. It is essential to understand the severity of plagiarism and its potential consequences to avoid making such a mistake.

Therefore, it is crucial to always give credit where credit is due and to use proper citation methods to avoid plagiarism. It is better to put in the extra effort to create original content than to risk the severe consequences of plagiarism.

How Colleges Detect Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offense in academic writing and can lead to severe consequences, including expulsion from college. As a result, colleges and universities have developed various tools and techniques to detect plagiarism in students' essays and other academic works.

Plagiarism Detection Software

One of the most common tools used by college admission officers to detect plagiarism is plagiarism detection software. These programs, such as Turnitin and SafeAssign, are designed to scan essays and other academic works for any copied content from other sources. The software compares the submitted work against a vast database of existing works to identify any similarities and flag them as potential instances of plagiarism.

While plagiarism detection software is not foolproof and can sometimes produce false positives, it is still an effective tool that has helped colleges and universities to catch many instances of plagiarism.

Expert Admissions Officers

Experienced admissions officers are another valuable resource in detecting plagiarism. These professionals have read countless essays and application materials and can often spot plagiarized content simply by reviewing your application essay alongside other application materials. They have a keen eye for identifying inconsistencies in writing style, language, and tone that may suggest plagiarism.

Additionally, admissions officers may ask follow-up questions during the interview process to clarify any inconsistencies or discrepancies they may have noticed in your application materials. These questions can help them to spot potential instances of plagiarism and ensure that the application materials are entirely original.

Cross-Checking with Other Application Materials

Admissions officers have access to a wealth of information about applicants, including academic transcripts and essays from past coursework. They can use this information to cross-check your current application materials for any similarities in writing style or language that may suggest plagiarism.

For example, if you submit an essay that uses the same sentence structure and vocabulary as an essay you wrote for a previous class, it may raise red flags for the admissions officers. They may investigate further to determine if the content is original or plagiarized.

Overall, colleges and universities take plagiarism very seriously and have developed various tools and techniques to detect it. By using a combination of plagiarism detection software, expert admissions officers, and cross-checking with other application materials, they can ensure that the application materials are entirely original and free from plagiarism.

Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism in Your Essay

Avoiding plagiarism is vital. Here are some tips to help you develop an original and authentic essay:

Start Early and Plan Your Essay

The earlier you start, the better your chances of avoiding plagiarism. Starting early allows you to have enough time to research and gather information from different sources. You can also create an outline, brainstorm, and create a rough draft, which will help you to see what tasks must be done ahead of schedule. This will also give you enough time to review your work and make necessary changes.

Use Your Own Voice and Experiences

Admissions officers are interested in getting to know you as a person. Share experiences and thoughts that have shaped who you are and make it your own. Remember that this essay is your story, and no one can tell it better than you! Use your own words and avoid copying content from other sources. You can also add personal anecdotes and examples to make your essay more engaging.

Properly Cite Sources and Quotations

If you need to include information from other sources, make sure to cite them in your essay properly. Failure to do so is considered plagiarism, even in the case of unintentional plagiarism. Make use of the correct citation format for the source. This not only helps you avoid plagiarism but also shows that you have done thorough research and can back up your arguments with credible sources.

Seek Feedback from Trusted Sources

Before submitting your application essay, ask trusted sources to review your essay for content or plagiarism. Family members, friends, and teachers can provide you with constructive criticism and spot mistakes that you may have missed. You can also seek help from professional editors who can help you polish your essay and ensure that it is free from plagiarism.

Remember that plagiarism is a serious offense that can have severe consequences. It can damage your academic and professional reputation and even lead to legal issues. By following these tips, you can avoid plagiarism and create an original and authentic essay that showcases your skills and personality.

In conclusion, plagiarism is never worth the risk. The consequences can be severe and may damage your academic record for many years. You can avoid plagiarism in your college application essay by starting early, creating a plan, sharing personal experiences, properly citing sources and quotations, and getting feedback from trusted sources. Remember, it's your story, and no one can tell it better than you!

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When college applicants plagiarize, Turnitin can spot them

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The student’s admissions essay for Boston University’s MBA program was about persevering in the business world. “I have worked for organizations in which the culture has been open and nurturing, and for others that have been elitist. In the latter case, arrogance becomes pervasive, straining external partnerships.”

Another applicant’s essay for UCLA’s Anderson School of Management was about his father. He “worked for organizations in which the culture has been open and nurturing, and for others that have been elitist. In the latter case, arrogance becomes pervasive, straining external partnerships.”

Sound familiar? The Boston University student’s essay was written in 2003 and had been posted at businessweek.com. The UCLA applicant was rejected this year — for plagiarism.

The detection of such wholesale cheating in college applications is on the rise due to the use of Turnitin for Admissions, an anti-plagiarism database service that compares student essays to an immense archive of other writings. Around the country, more than 100 colleges and universities have adopted it, mainly in graduate divisions, although Stanford University is among the dozen schools starting to use it for freshman applicants this year.

That growth highlights the search for authenticity in college admissions at a time when the Internet offers huge amounts of tempting free material, increasing numbers of private coaches sell admissions advice, and online companies peddle pre-written essays. In addition, the larger numbers of applications from overseas have raised concerns about cheating that may be difficult for U.S. schools to discover unaided.

“The more we can nip unethical behavior in the bud, the better,” said Andrew Ainslie, a senior associate dean at UCLA Anderson. “It seems to us nobody ought to be able to buy their way into a business school.”

In the school’s first review of essays from potential MBA candidates this year, Turnitin found significant plagiarism — beyond borrowing a phrase here and there — in a dozen of the 870 applications, Ainslie said. All 12 were rejected.

Turnitin — as in, “turn it in” — began in the 1990s and became a popular tool at high schools and colleges to help detect copying in academic term papers and research by scanning for similarities in phrases from among billions of Web pages, books and periodicals.

Two years ago, the Oakland-based firm developed a service for admissions decisions, allowing large numbers of essays to be reviewed quickly and creating a database of students’ essays. The service shows sections of essays next to the possible source and calculates a percentage of possibly copied material. It is left up to schools to determine whether the plagiarism was minor, accidental or serious enough to reject the applicant.

“If you are a very selective institution, or a very prestigious institution, and you have a huge number of people vying for just a couple of slots, admissions people want to make sure they have all the information to make the fair decision,” said Jeff Lorton, Turnitin for Admissions’ product and business development manager.

Internal testing of the database, using past essays, showed plagiarism ranging from about 3% to 20% of applicants, Lorton said.

Colleges want “to be proactive in discouraging dishonesty,” said Richard Shaw, Stanford’s dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid.

So Stanford will test Turnitin on the 7% or so of its 36,000 applicants who make it past other hurdles to be offered admissions, Shaw said. If plagiarism is detected, students will be allowed to respond but probably will face revocation.

Other schools are skeptical about using Turnitin on prospective freshmen, especially since the company charges large campuses several thousands of dollars a year. Rather, plagiarists can be discovered when admissions officers notice mismatches between strong application essays and weak grades, interviews and SAT or ACT writing samples, said David Hawkins, public policy and research director of the National Assn. for College Admission Counseling. Schools also fear wasting time on false positives triggered by cliches and platitudes, he said.

And experts say it can be easy to tell when several applicants repeat the same material or, more glaring, when they don’t change electronic typefaces from their sources.

Turnitin’s freshman screening could rise sharply, however, if the service is adopted by Common Application, the online service used by 456 college admissions offices. Rob Killion, Common Application executive director, said there is “a very real chance” it will add Turnitin in 2013.

Among current Turnitin for Admissions users are some graduate schools at Johns Hopkins, Brandeis, Northeastern and Iowa State. They pay annual fees that start at $1,500 and rise depending on volume, averaging about a dollar per application, Lorton said. About half the schools explicitly tell applicants about the detection while others warn more vaguely.

Before adding the tool, staffers at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business two years ago discovered 29 essays about “principled leadership” that contained material lifted from the Web, said Carrie Marcinkevage, the MBA program’s managing director. Except for a few borderline cases, those graduate school applications were denied.

Since then, Turnitin has helped find plagiarism rates of between 3% and 5%, Marcinkevage said, adding that the technology is worthwhile since it “covers a lot more ground” than humans can.

Dominican University of California, in San Rafael, recently began using Turnitin in graduate programs. Applicants sometimes “resort to whatever means possible to get an edge. It’s unfortunate, but I think it’s human nature,” graduate admissions director Larry Schwartz said.

A few suspicious reports are being investigated and most suspected plagiarists will be given “the benefit of the doubt” and a chance to submit a second essay for scrutiny, Schwartz said.

At UCLA Anderson, one recent applicant didn’t search far for essay material. He stole verbatim from the school’s website in citing “exceptional academic preparation, a cooperative and congenial student culture, and access to a thriving business community.”

If plagiarists like that are denied admissions, future business leaders may include fewer unethical careerists, said UCLA Anderson’s Ainslie. “If they are going to do that,” he said, “they are going to do it in every aspect of their lives.”

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Scribbr Plagiarism Checker

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You don't need a plagiarism checker, right?

You would never copy-and-paste someone else’s work, you’re great at paraphrasing, and you always keep a tidy list of your sources handy.

But what about accidental plagiarism ? It’s more common than you think! Maybe you paraphrased a little too closely, or forgot that last citation or set of quotation marks.

Even if you did it by accident, plagiarism is still a serious offense. You may fail your course, or be placed on academic probation. The risks just aren’t worth it.

Scribbr & academic integrity

Scribbr is committed to protecting academic integrity. Our plagiarism checker software, Citation Generator , proofreading services , and free Knowledge Base content are designed to help educate and guide students in avoiding unintentional plagiarism.

We make every effort to prevent our software from being used for fraudulent or manipulative purposes.

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Frequently asked questions

No, the Self-Plagiarism Checker does not store your document in any public database.

In addition, you can delete all your personal information and documents from the Scribbr server as soon as you’ve received your plagiarism report.

Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker is powered by elements of Turnitin’s Similarity Checker , namely the plagiarism detection software and the Internet Archive and Premium Scholarly Publications content databases .

The add-on AI detector is powered by Scribbr’s proprietary software.

Extensive testing proves that Scribbr’s plagiarism checker is one of the most accurate plagiarism checkers on the market in 2022.

The software detects everything from exact word matches to synonym swapping. It also has access to a full range of source types, including open- and restricted-access journal articles, theses and dissertations, websites, PDFs, and news articles.

At the moment we do not offer a monthly subscription for the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker . This means you won’t be charged on a recurring basis – you only pay for what you use. We believe this provides you with the flexibility to use our service as frequently or infrequently as you need, without being tied to a contract or recurring fee structure.

You can find an overview of the prices per document here:

Please note that we can’t give refunds if you bought the plagiarism check thinking it was a subscription service as communication around this policy is clear throughout the order process.

Your document will be compared to the world’s largest and fastest-growing content database , containing over:

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Note: Scribbr does not have access to Turnitin’s global database with student papers. Only your university can add and compare submissions to this database.

Scribbr’s plagiarism checker offers complete support for 20 languages, including English, Spanish, German, Arabic, and Dutch.

The add-on AI Detector and AI Proofreader are only available in English.

The complete list of supported languages:

If your university uses Turnitin, the result will be very similar to what you see at Scribbr.

The only possible difference is that your university may compare your submission to a private database containing previously submitted student papers. Scribbr does not have access to these private databases (and neither do other plagiarism checkers).

To cater to this, we have the Self-Plagiarism Checker at Scribbr. Just upload any document you used and start the check. You can repeat this as often as you like with all your sources. With your Plagiarism Check order, you get a free pass to use the Self-Plagiarism Checker. Simply upload them to your similarity report and let us do the rest!

Your writing stays private. Your submissions to Scribbr are not published in any public database, so no other plagiarism checker (including those used by universities) will see them.

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College Uses Web Plagiarism Checks

Admissions office catches a ‘handful’ of plagiarists each year with online programs.

As college applicants face escalating competition to get accepted to selective colleges, admissions offices—including Harvard’s—are increasingly using internet resources to catch plagiarism in application essays. According to Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, the admissions committee tends to catch a “handful” of would-be plagiarists each year using electronic sources in addition to admissions officers’ judgment. Occasionally, he said, attempts are “clearly obvious” to application reviewers, as when students copy college essay books word for word. “There may well be instances that get by us every year. There’s no way to know for sure,” he said in a phone interview. According to Fitzsimmons, students can, and a few likely do, purchase essays from various private sources. Electronic scanning sources cannot detect these works, since while they are not the students’ own, they are not technically unoriginal. Fitzsimmons said that the College has been using online resources since they became available over a decade ago. But the admissions committee also depends, as it has since before these online resources became available, on admissions officers’ intuition. Fitzsimmons said that the committee is generally prompted to check the originality of application essays for a variety of reasons, such as when a reader assigned to a specific geographic region finds similarities between essays from that region. Admissions officers also take notice when familiar passages from well-known pieces published in essay books appear in applicants’ essays, or when essays contain writing that doesn’t seem to match the rest of the student’s profile, Fitzsimmons added. “Certainly there are times when there is an essay that seems much, much better than what a student would have been able to produce,” he said, citing the gap between essay quality and grades or test scores as indicators of this incongruity. In the event that plagiarism is detected, the committee contacts the student and allows him or her the opportunity to provide an explanation. If the student’s response does not suffice, the application is rejected. Fitzsimmons did not say which online resources the admissions office uses to catch plagiarists. But at least one specific resource has been used to detect plagiarism at Harvard. This past fall, the instructors in Sociology 189, “Law and Social Movements,” used Turnitin.com to scan students’ work as part of a plagiarism-detection pilot program run by Harvard’s Instructional Computing Group (ICG). The nine-year-old Web site, which added an admissions-essay service in 2004, has screened 27,000 admissions essays and found 11 percent to contain at least one-quarter of un-original material, according to The Wall Street Journal. —Staff writer Aditi Balakrishna can be reached at [email protected].

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College Reality Check

AI and College Admissions essays: Cheating, Plagiarism, Inequality and Other Issues

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Last year I spent several months on college applications, and the bulk of my time was occupied by writing essays and prompts, as many colleges seem to value them more and more when they try to gauge students’ interest.

With the recent announcement of ChatGPT and the hype in the media about the AI capabilities and possible impact on our lives, I decided to give it a try and see if my application process could be easier if I used the tool. The results of my experiment were unexpected, may I even say shocking.

Here’s what I found.

How To Write The Perfect College Admission Essay With AI

Paraphrase existing college essay with katteb.

When using AI tools, it’s important to understand that while AI stands for “artificial intelligence,” in reality, it does not possess any human intelligence. All it can do is use human sources, such as books, videos, and blogs, to generate sentences.

So, my first idea was to see if I could feed best written pieces and use AI to paraphrase them – the way a lazy person would do.

For example, every year, Johns Hopkins University publishes “Essay the worked” – the best college admissions essays.

For my little experiment, I used Superheroes by Stephanie .

Here’s the opening paragraph:

I started with the AI tool called Katteb. It has multiple writing options, including writing a whole article based on a title. I used Article Rewriter, Advanced Rewriter option.

First, I imported the article by providing a URL to the original source, then selected 5 Variations,  went thru each paragraph, and selected a variation I liked most.

Here’s what I ended with:

Takeaway: First, AI is making up facts. It turned outspoken blade-wielding women into a sword of Kannada girls , which I am sure does not exist.

Second, it made me a bad person because, apparently, I was doing evil every day, and now I stopped (at least, this is how the admissions officer would interpret this piece).

And finally, the paragraph simply did not make any sense – when bullies attacked my classmates, I decided to document the movement (which movement?)

This was my first fiasco using AI. Ok, maybe paraphrasing a good essay will not make another decent one. Also, there are moral aspects to such an approach – using someone’s work is called stealing or plagiarism.

But how about asking AI to write a new piece?

Using ChatGPT to write a college admissions essay

If you heard about AI, you have most likely heard about ChatGPT. As soon as ChatGPT was revealed to the public, every major publication claimed that college essays are dead because AI can write better than humans.

Let’s check.

ChatGPT is a web-based application with a very simple interface. It is supposed to work as a Chat app where you ask questions, and it responds with something intelligent. In our case, it’s an essay that gets you into Harvard.

However, its responses depend on your input, called prompts. Better the input, the better the output.

I started with a simple prompt – something I wrote about in my own Common App essay.

Write a story about a teenage girl who worked at Banana Republic and who had to confront a bad customer in the voice of J.K. Rowling.

As you can see, the first prompt was not the best one – ChatGPT wrote a story in a third person voice.

Luckily, AI remembers the context, and you can refine requests, and I entered the second prompt:

Rewrite in the first person point of view

Here’s the output:

Takeaway: The output is grammatically correct, which is good. But the story is very plain, generic, and boring. Maybe I should’ve added more details about the conflict and been more specific.

ChatGPT is like coding – you have to give specific instructions if you want to receive a specific result. So, I guess if you are good at coding but at writing, you could use the tool to quickly build a generic essay.

On the other hand, I can see where I could use this approach. For instance, if you hit writer’s block, then you could use ChatGPT to generate something very quickly. And then, you have to rewrite by adding details and injecting your personality .

Using ChatGPT to write why us essays

Why this college essays are particularly hard to write because they are short and must be specifically tailored to the institution.

So, why not use ChatGPT to reduce my work on the Common app?

If you dream about an Ivy League diploma from Columbia University, there 4 short questions you have to answer :

I made the following prompt for ChatGPT:

Write a college application in response to this prompt: “Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (200 words or fewer)”. Write as if your intended major is Computer Science.

Takeaway: There is one rule of thumb when writing “why this college” essays – if you replace the name of the university with the name of another school and it still reads the same, then it’s not a good essay.

For example, if I replace Columbia University with Boston University and New York City with Boston, the generated essay will still fit. Again, the essay is too generic, and it’s unlikely to help you during the admission process.

Can Colleges Detect AI Written Material?

As you can see from the examples above, AI, at this stage, can only create generic, plain essays. If you are hoping to get an engaging paper that is interesting to read, AI is not going to help.

On the other hand, not everyone can write as well as Ernest Hemingway. I wouldn’t be surprised if AI can write better than many of my classmates who struggle with putting words on paper.

So, I guess many applicants will be tempted to cheat and use technology with their Common App essays.

I also guess that colleges are aware of this and maybe secretly implement measures to detect AI-written content.

For example, many colleges use Turnitin to combat plagiarism. And now, Turnitin claims that they can detect AI, specifically ChatGPT, as well.

Here’s a sneak preview of their capabilities:

So, if you are planning to use AI, be prepared that colleges may have AI detection in place and can possibly reject your application – nobody likes cheaters.

Colleges, AI and Ethics, and Inequality

As of now, AI technology is not good enough to replace human writers, especially good ones. However, even now, the technology is impressive compared to what we had even a year ago. So, it wouldn’t surprise me that in the near future, AI can progress and produce even better results.

Many higher ed institutions are already concerned with technology because the bulk of college education is based on writing.

And if we think about the future, there are some interesting possibilities.

Will colleges become essay optional?

After the pandemic, many colleges became test-optional, and there is evidence that many of them are unlikely to go back and require standardized tests for admissions.

If technology continues improving, I wouldn’t be surprised if colleges become essay optional. After all, if you can use a tool to produce good content and it will be hard to detect, why waste admissions officer time to read generated responses?

Or, will SAT bring back the writing section?

Since writing is important in higher ed, colleges can require you to write on SAT tests under supervision, so they know the writing is yours.

And finally, will AI further increase inequality in college admissions?

ChatGPT already has paid plans, but not everyone can afford them. It’s true that you can use the free version, but it is not as good as paid and is often unavailable during high load times.

I am sure there are even more questions about AI technology and ethics and plagiarism.

This is all just the beginning, and we don’t even know how technology will change college admissions and our lives in general.

It will be interesting to watch how people and organizations grapple with uncertainty, but I am excited about the new opportunities artificial intelligence brings.

Host of the "College Reality Check" podcast. Accepted to Northeastern, UMD, U of Illinois Urbana Champaign, UPitt, Drexel, Virginia Tech, and UMBC.

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Admissions tips: How to write a graduate admissions essay

An admissions essay is a standard part of the admissions application. To help, we’ve curated our top tips on how to write a standout graduate admissions essay.

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Everyone has a unique narrative, and we firmly believe that your qualifications go beyond what can be captured on your resume. But the question is, how will you distinguish yourself from the competition when applying to Johns Hopkins Carey Business School?

What to consider when writing a graduate school application essay The essay portion of the application is your opportunity to broaden our admissions team’s understanding of your abilities beyond what they can see on your transcript and resume. Writing an essay is your chance to share your unique strengths, personal history, journey of growth, and any additional qualities that show you are a strong candidate.

Preparing to write your essay Prior to starting your essay, read all prompts carefully. Take a moment to reflect on your reasons for pursuing a graduate business degree. It may be beneficial to have a pen and notepad at your disposal for this reflective exercise. Think about your personal journey and pinpoint pivotal moments in your growth and learning, then take note of how those moments have shaped you and your experiences, and how they could help guide you through your business school journey. Be sure to also use the correct formatting and avoid adding lists and bullet points to your essays.

Outline your thoughts Once you have a solid understanding of how to convey your personal journey within the context of the essay prompts, the next step is to construct an outline. As you shape the direction and flow of your essay, always keep your audience in mind. Our admissions team reviews thousands of application essays, so it’s crucial to find a creative hook that will make your story stand out.

Don’t overthink As you begin to write your first draft, allow your ideas to flow freely. Don’t fixate on grammar or finding the perfect words at this stage–simply capture your thoughts on paper. You can refine your essay in the second draft.

Step away After finishing your first draft, set it aside for a day or two before returning to edit it. Revisiting your work with a fresh outlook allows for a new perspective. During this second review, tackle the details of grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. You might find it helpful to read your essay in reverse order to catch any typos.

Ask for feedback Once you feel your essay is in good shape, it’s highly recommended that you share your draft with an advisor, professor, trusted colleague, friend, or even your recommender. Gaining insights from a trustworthy source can enhance the quality of your essay and assist in identifying any typos or minor adjustments. While editing is an important step, it should not cut out your authentic voice and tone. When identifying a proofreader, make sure to find someone who knows your authentic voice and tone and can edit your paper while still preserving your natural voice and tone.

Finalize and submit You’re almost done! Before finalizing your essay submission, do one last review. Run a spell check and read your essay out loud to yourself. This approach can help you pinpoint areas that might require clarification or fine-tuning. As you review your final draft, be sure that you thoroughly addressed the question on the application.

Keep in mind that the essay portion of the application is your chance to set yourself apart Admissions team members want to hear your authentic voice, with a style that sounds natural and genuine. By sharing your authentic self, and your transformative experiences, passions, goals, and voice, you can leave a lasting impression.

Best of luck with the rest of your application journey!

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Buying College Essays Is Now Easier Than Ever. But Buyer Beware

Tovia Smith

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

As the recent college admissions scandal is shedding light on how parents are cheating and bribing their children's way into college, schools are also focusing on how some students may be cheating their way through college. Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market that makes it easier than ever for students to buy essays written by others to turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

It's not hard to understand the temptation for students. The pressure is enormous, the stakes are high and, for some, writing at a college level is a huge leap.

"We didn't really have a format to follow, so I was kind of lost on what to do," says one college freshman, who struggled recently with an English assignment. One night, when she was feeling particularly overwhelmed, she tweeted her frustration.

"It was like, 'Someone, please help me write my essay!' " she recalls. She ended her tweet with a crying emoji. Within a few minutes, she had a half-dozen offers of help.

"I can write it for you," they tweeted back. "Send us the prompt!"

The student, who asked that her name not be used for fear of repercussions at school, chose one that asked for $10 per page, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"For me, it was just that the work was piling up," she explains. "As soon as I finish some big assignment, I get assigned more things, more homework for math, more homework for English. Some papers have to be six or 10 pages long. ... And even though I do my best to manage, the deadlines come closer and closer, and it's just ... the pressure."

In the cat-and-mouse game of academic cheating, students these days know that if they plagiarize, they're likely to get caught by computer programs that automatically compare essays against a massive database of other writings. So now, buying an original essay can seem like a good workaround.

"Technically, I don't think it's cheating," the student says. "Because you're paying someone to write an essay, which they don't plagiarize, and they write everything on their own."

Her logic, of course, ignores the question of whether she's plagiarizing. When pressed, she begins to stammer.

"That's just a difficult question to answer," she says. "I don't know how to feel about that. It's kind of like a gray area. It's maybe on the edge, kind of?"

Besides she adds, she probably won't use all of it.

Other students justify essay buying as the only way to keep up. They figure that everyone is doing it one way or another — whether they're purchasing help online or getting it from family or friends.

"Oh yeah, collaboration at its finest," cracks Boston University freshman Grace Saathoff. While she says she would never do it herself, she's not really fazed by others doing it. She agrees with her friends that it has pretty much become socially acceptable.

"I have a friend who writes essays and sells them," says Danielle Delafuente, another Boston University freshman. "And my other friend buys them. He's just like, 'I can't handle it. I have five papers at once. I need her to do two of them, and I'll do the other three.' It's a time management thing."

The war on contract cheating

"It breaks my heart that this is where we're at," sighs Ashley Finley, senior adviser to the president for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She says campuses are abuzz about how to curb the rise in what they call contract cheating. Obviously, students buying essays is not new, but Finley says that what used to be mostly limited to small-scale side hustles has mushroomed on the internet to become a global industry of so-called essay mills. Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but research suggests that up to 16 percent of students have paid someone to do their work and that the number is rising.

"Definitely, this is really getting more and more serious," Finley says. "It's part of the brave new world for sure."

The essay mills market aggressively online, with slickly produced videos inviting students to "Get instant help with your assignment" and imploring them: "Don't lag behind," "Join the majority" and "Don't worry, be happy."

"They're very crafty," says Tricia Bertram Gallant, director of the Academic Integrity Office at the University of California in San Diego and a board member of the International Center for Academic Integrity.

The companies are equally brazen offline — leafleting on campuses, posting flyers in toilet stalls and flying banners over Florida beaches during spring break. Companies have also been known to bait students with emails that look like they're from official college help centers. And they pay social media influencers to sing the praises of their services, and they post testimonials from people they say are happy customers.

"I hired a service to write my paper and I got a 90 on it!" gloats one. "Save your time, and have extra time to party!" advises another.

"It's very much a seduction," says Bertram Gallant. "So you can maybe see why students could get drawn into the contract cheating world."

YouTube has been cracking down on essay mills; it says it has pulled thousands of videos that violate its policies against promoting dishonest behavior.

But new videos constantly pop up, and their hard sell flies in the face of their small-print warnings that their essays should be used only as a guide, not a final product.

Several essay mills declined or didn't respond to requests to be interviewed by NPR. But one answered questions by email and offered up one of its writers to explain her role in the company, called EduBirdie.

"Yes, just like the little birdie that's there to help you in your education," explains April Short, a former grade school teacher from Australia who's now based in Philadelphia. She has been writing for a year and a half for the company, which bills itself as a "professional essay writing service for students who can't even."

Some students just want some "foundational research" to get started or a little "polish" to finish up, Short says. But the idea that many others may be taking a paper written completely by her and turning it in as their own doesn't keep her up at night.

"These kids are so time poor," she says, and they're "missing out on opportunities of travel and internships because they're studying and writing papers." Relieving students of some of that burden, she figures, allows them to become more "well-rounded."

"I don't necessarily think that being able to create an essay is going to be a defining factor in a very long career, so it's not something that bothers me," says Short. Indeed, she thinks students who hire writers are demonstrating resourcefulness and creativity. "I actually applaud students that look for options to get the job done and get it done well," she says.

"This just shows you the extent of our ability to rationalize all kinds of bad things we do," sighs Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. The rise in contract cheating is especially worrisome, he says, because when it comes to dishonest behavior, more begets more. As he puts it, it's not just about "a few bad apples."

Felicity Huffman And 12 Other Parents To Plead Guilty In College Cheating Scandal

"Instead, what we have is a lot ... of blemished apples, and we take our cues for our behavior from the social world around us," he says. "We know officially what is right and what's wrong. But really what's driving our behavior is what we see others around us doing" or, Ariely adds, what we perceive them to be doing. So even the proliferation of advertising for essays mills can have a pernicious effect, he says, by fueling the perception that "everyone's doing it."

A few nations have recently proposed or passed laws outlawing essay mills, and more than a dozen U.S. states have laws on the books against them. But prosecuting essay mills, which are often based overseas in Pakistan, Kenya and Ukraine, for example, is complicated. And most educators are loath to criminalize students' behavior.

"Yes, they're serious mistakes. They're egregious mistakes," says Cath Ellis, an associate dean and integrity officer at the University of New South Wales, where students were among the hundreds alleged to have bought essays in a massive scandal in Australia in 2014.

"But we're educational institutions," she adds. "We've got to give students the opportunity to learn from these mistakes. That's our responsibility. And that's better in our hands than in the hands of the police and the courts."

Staying one step ahead

In the war on contract cheating, some schools see new technology as their best weapon and their best shot to stay one step ahead of unscrupulous students. The company that makes the Turnitin plagiarism detection software has just upped its game with a new program called Authorship Investigate.

The software first inspects a document's metadata, like when it was created, by whom it was created and how many times it was reopened and re-edited. Turnitin's vice president for product management, Bill Loller, says sometimes it's as simple as looking at the document's name. Essay mills typically name their documents something like "Order Number 123," and students have been known to actually submit it that way. "You would be amazed at how frequently that happens," says Loller.

Using cutting-edge linguistic forensics, the software also evaluates the level of writing and its style.

"Think of it as a writing fingerprint," Loller says. The software looks at hundreds of telltale characteristics of an essay, like whether the author double spaces after a period or writes with Oxford commas or semicolons. It all gets instantly compared against a student's other work, and, Loller says, suspicions can be confirmed — or alleviated — in minutes.

"At the end of the day, you get to a really good determination on whether the student wrote what they submitted or not," he says, "and you get it really quickly."

Coventry University in the U.K. has been testing out a beta version of the software, and Irene Glendinning, the school's academic manager for student experience, agrees that the software has the potential to give schools a leg up on cheating students. After the software is officially adopted, "we'll see a spike in the number of cases we find, and we'll have a very hard few years," she says. "But then the message will get through to students that we've got the tools now to find these things out." Then, Glendinning hopes, students might consider contract cheating to be as risky as plagiarizing.

In the meantime, schools are trying to spread the word that buying essays is risky in other ways as well.

Professor Ariely says that when he posed as a student and ordered papers from several companies, much of it was "gibberish" and about a third of it was actually plagiarized.

Even worse, when he complained to the company and demanded his money back, they resorted to blackmail. Still believing him to be a student, the company threatened to tell his school he was cheating. Others say companies have also attempted to shake down students for more money, threatening to rat them out if they didn't pay up.

The lesson, Ariely says, is "buyer beware."

But ultimately, experts say, many desperate students may not be deterred by the risks — whether from shady businesses or from new technology.

Bertram Gallant, of UC San Diego, says the right way to dissuade students from buying essays is to remind them why it's wrong.

"If we engage in a technological arms race with the students, we won't win," she says. "What are we going to do when Google glasses start to look like regular glasses and a student wears them into an exam? Are we going to tell them they can't wear their glasses because we're afraid they might be sending the exam out to someone else who is sending them back the answers?"

The solution, Bertram Gallant says, has to be about "creating a culture where integrity and ethics matter" and where education is valued more than grades. Only then will students believe that cheating on essays is only cheating themselves.

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Plagiarism Checker in Admissions

AO’s of Reddit. Just wondering if there’s any plagiarism checker process in admissions. And if so, how much plagiarism is a big enough red flag to auto reject or report to other schools?

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What Admission Counselors Don't Tell You

We get it. College applications are stressful. From whether to submit test scores to what to write about the in essay, the process is complicated. We spoke to an admissions expert about some of the most frequently asked (and agonized over) questions about applying to college.

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SV: Is there an essay topic that makes an admissions counselor immediately roll their eyes?

KC: So many! Writing about the extracurricular activities you have already listed elsewhere in your application will certainly get an eye roll. “It’s their résumé again.” Be careful with topics that affect everyone. After 9/11, for example, there were hundreds of thousands of essays about 9/11. Unless your family was in the building at that time, that wasn't a great essay topic, right? Think twice about writing about things that you might only tell your therapist. If you can make that admissions officer smile, that's great. But I also always say, "If you're not funny, don't try to be funny, because it's not going to work." Hopefully, you're telling a story only you can tell that really captures who you are in that little story.

Do colleges look at the social media accounts of applicants?

On average, about 27 percent of admissions officers look at a student's online identity. So we counsel students as early as ninth grade to be careful what they post. My advice is, everything you post should pass the Grandma test. If you wouldn’t want her to see it, don't post it. Be very careful about posting photos of you with a red Solo cup in your hand. If you can't see the liquid in that cup, an admissions officer might assume it's alcohol, right? If you're posting photos of yourself partying all the time, you're not going to come off as a scholarly student or someone who's really engaged in other activities.

Is it safer to just not have social media at all?

I don't think so, because there is a positive way to use your social media to showcase who you are, your talents, your interests, what you're doing productively with your time, and what matters to you. And you can use it to follow schools, which is where you're going to learn a lot about what's happening on campuses. I think you can be authentic to yourself, but use your social media wisely.

Another topic of much discussion is extracurriculars. What works, when is it too much, and are there any extracurriculars that just don't matter?

You don't want to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. We see this a lot, students just piling activities onto their list and not diving into any one thing. It's very hard to get a sense of who that student is and what matters to them. On the other end, we also see students who aren't involved in any activities at school, and that’s not good either.

The idea is that you want to pursue a few things over four years that you're truly interested in that relate to your core interests. Admissions offers are going to be looking for commitment, responsibility, leadership, how you collaborate with others, what is your impact on a day-in, day-out basis. I ask students, “What's the legacy you're leaving behind at your school because you've done this thing?" And if the school doesn't have an activity that they’re looking for, I tell students, “If you can't find it, found it, start it. Be entrepreneurial with this.”

Two words that bring up so many questions: standardized tests. What do you do if you are just not a good test taker?

Since Covid, the majority of colleges and universities in this country have gone test-optional. And if you look at this past admission cycle, about 90% of colleges were either test-optional or test-blind. The good news is that there are still many, many schools that are test-optional if you're truly not a great test taker.

That said, we are seeing a movement back to standardized testing. And the SAT and ACT are very coachable tests. However you decide to approach a test, whether it’s reading a book, taking lots of practice tests, signing up for an online class or a group class, or a one-on-one tutor, I do think it is very important to start early—we recommend 10th grade.

Another thing is to understand which is the right test for you first, the SAT or ACT. We tell students to not take both. There's probably one test that's going to be better than the other for you. And from the college's perspective, it doesn't matter which one you submit.

Do a diagnostic of each—I would say do it in 10th grade—figure out which is the best test for you, and do some preparation.

If a school is test-optional, should you send in your score anyway?

You should send in your score only if it matches your grades. If your score is aligned with your grades and it makes sense, or it's above what your grades show, then you want to send it in. But if it's below that, it's not going to help you. So we advise students not to send it in that case.

Click above to watch the video, and see below for additional resources—and specific programs—recommended by IvyWise . A good place to start is IvyWise's Knowledge Base , which has articles on many college application questions.

• Black Book by Mike Barrett and Patrick Barrett: Available in two separate versions for both the ACT and SAT. • The College Board has released four official practice tests for the Digital SAT, which you can find on the Bluebook testing application . Since there are only four of these, students should be using these sparingly and only when they are ready to take a full diagnostic. •The College Board is partnering with Khan Academy for Digital SAT prep materials, including a Digital SAT prep course. Khan Academy has added practice tests for the math and reading and writing sections of Digital SAT.

Books on Writing Technique

• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott • The Writing Life by Annie Dillard • On Writing by Stephen King • The Best American Essays Anthology

Extracurriculars/Volunteering

•Some national organizations to research for volunteer opportunities include the American Red Cross , Best Buddies , Big Brothers Big Sisters of America , Boys & Girls Clubs of America , DoSomething.org , Key Club , Meals on Wheels America , Teen Listeners/Teen Line , and 4-H . •Students can also ask contacts in their local community for suggestions of other organizations to volunteer with, as options will vary widely by state and town/city.

Social Media

• Brand Up: The Ultimate Playbook for College & Career Success in the Digital World by Stacey Ross Cohen. •The American Psychological Association (APA) also has guidelines for how teens can develop healthy social media practices.

Editor-in-Chief Stellene Volandes is a jewelry expert, and the author of Jeweler: Masters and Mavericks of Modern Design (Rizzoli).

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5 Books About The College Application Process To Read This Summer

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In the increasingly competitive landscape of top college admissions, strategy and preparation are critical for crafting a standout application. The process of planning high school coursework, selecting extracurriculars, writing essays, and navigating financial aid can be overwhelming and stressful — even taking a toll on the relationship between students and their parents. However, with the right resources, families can recover the joy and excitement that comes with entering this new phase of a student’s journey.

Whether preparing to start freshman or senior year of high school in the fall, summer is an optimal time for students and their families to educate themselves about the college admissions process. If you’re lounging poolside or passing time on a flight, bring along the following books for engaging and instructive perspectives on the college admissions process:

1. The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together by Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark

In The Truth about College Admission , Brennan Barnard, a college counselor, and Rick Clark, then the director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech, provide a refreshing and honest look at the college application process. The book emphasizes maintaining family harmony and reducing stress while navigating the complexities of college admissions. With a focus on fostering open communication and realistic expectations, Barnard and Clark offer invaluable insights for both students and their families. For those who are hungry for more information, the authors also host a podcast with the same name, bringing together expert guests to share their insights on the college admissions process.

2. The Exceptional Applicant: For College Admission, You Don't Have to Be Perfect, You Just Have to Be Original by Deborah Bedor

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Deborah Bedor’s The Exceptional Applicant is a strategic guide aimed at high-achieving students aspiring to join the ranks at Ivy League and other top universities. A seasoned college admissions consultant, Bedor offers targeted insights to help students in every stage of the process develop an admissions strategy and craft an original and compelling profile. The book covers everything from selecting extracurricular activities to writing compelling essays and preparing for interviews. Bedor's insights are particularly valuable for students seeking to articulate their unique voice and perspective in an increasingly competitive admissions landscape.

3. Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions by Jeffrey Selingo

In Who Gets In and Why , journalist Jeffrey Selingo takes readers behind the college admissions curtain at Emory University, Davidson College, and the University of Washington to reveal insights into the secrets and nuances of the admissions process. Through meticulous reporting and interviews with admissions officers, Selingo reveals the strategies and decisions that admissions committees use to shape each incoming class. The book provides a nuanced understanding of what colleges are looking for in applicants and offers practical advice for students aiming to stand out. Selingo’s articulation of admissions officers’ processes makes this book an eye-opening read for students and parents embarking on the college admissions process.

4. On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice by Harry Bauld

Harry Bauld’s On Writing the College Application Essay is a classic guide that has helped countless students craft essays that stand out in the decades since its original publication in 1987. A former admissions officer at Brown and Columbia, Bauld provides an insider’s perspective on what makes an essay memorable. The book offers practical tips on brainstorming, writing, and revising essays, as well as avoiding common pitfalls. Bauld’s lighthearted and engaging style makes this a must-read for any student facing the daunting task of writing their college application essays this summer.

5. Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni

For families seeking an alternative to the frenzied culture of college admissions preparation, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni offers a more nuanced approach to the process, challenging the conventional wisdom that people’s future success is determined by the prestige of the colleges they attend. In Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be , Bruni argues that the obsession with elite institutions is misplaced and that students can achieve success and fulfillment at a wide range of schools. A Times review of Bruni’s book states : “He doesn’t deny the networking value of attending a prestigious college — especially for those with the dubious dream of working on Wall Street — but he knows that this value is overstated, that the exhilaration of winning the prize is often a prelude to exhaustion, and that on every elite college campus the mental-health services are overstretched.” Bruni’s thought-provoking book provides a much-needed perspective to free students and parents caught up in the “mania” of college admissions—or to save them from getting caught up in it in the first place.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, do colleges check plagiarism in application essays.

Hi guys! I was wondering if colleges actually check for plagiarism in application essays. I'm not planning on plagiarizing, but I'm curious if they have a system in place to catch students who do. Thanks!

Hello! It's great to hear that you're not planning on plagiarizing your application essay. To answer your question, yes, many colleges do have systems in place to check for plagiarism in application essays. They usually use software like Turnitin or other similar services to cross-reference your submitted essay with a vast database of resources.

The primary reason for this is to maintain the integrity of the admissions process and ensure that all students have an equal opportunity based on their own merits. Colleges value authenticity and originality, so it's in your best interest to write your own essay and let your true voice shine through.

Remember, the purpose of the essay is to give the admissions officers a glimpse into who you are as a person, your values, and your experiences. By being genuine and honest, you'll have the best chance of impressing them and getting accepted into the college of your choice. Best of luck with your application!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.