When I heard that AI was a possible tool in evaluating college applications, I had to know more. On a Common App Counselors Webinar discussing this topic, I met Benjamin Lira, Lead Author in a recently published research study, “Using artificial intelligence to assess personal qualities in college admissions.” Lira, pursuing his PhD in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, tackles the concept of equity in holistic review and whether AI review can be done in a way that does not add bias. The study references a survey by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, finding that “70% of admissions officers said that they consider personal qualities to be an important factor when selecting applicants.” Lira’s study notes that “admissions officers still rely heavily on the personal essay to evaluate an applicant’s personal qualities.”
Given the opportunity to volunteer in his research study to further understand this topic, I jumped! I reviewed 110 short essays to assess a number of personal qualities. At first, I thought I’d be reviewing human- versus AI-generated copy, but no! These were ACTUAL essays submitted via the Common App in 2008-09. “The Personal Qualities Project” asked readers to indicate whether the following qualities were evident, and you can see the kinds of words that were frequently associated with each:
I interviewed Lira and learned more about his study, the surprises he encountered along the way, and the possible implications for college admissions. Among MANY fascinating things he shared, one was about the possible human bias in reading apps (cloudy days just took on a whole new meaning for me…). Here’s our conversation:
The bottom line? I’m torn about this. If applicants can’t use AI to write essays, why should colleges be able to use AI to shortcut application review? Admittedly, there are clearly many benefits to using AI for application review, especially if it’s just one step in the process. Lira’s research indicates it can eliminate bias and quickly identify IF the applicant’s writing content reflects the kinds of values and character the individual school is looking for. Clearly, AI would allow admissions officers to get a “quick look” to see if applicants would be a good fit before investing time for a deeper read and could reduce the dreaded wave of deferrals. Each year, I see many schools deferring so many qualified applicants because there just isn’t enough time to read 70,000 applications. Maybe AI can help admissions offices add a layer of review that will deliver admissions decisions quicker. I don’t think schools will give the key away; in other words, if they’re looking for a specific number of qualities that lead to success on their campus, I doubt they’ll tell us the formula. Many college tours sound so similar to me. Words like holistic review, multidisciplinary education, etc., start sounding so vague.
If AI is going to be used for some review, since students spend so much time preparing applications, don’t applicants also deserve a human read? Maybe the magic formula lies somewhere in between. I’ll continue to keep an eye on this very interesting facet of application review. What do you think?
*Note – a $20 giftcard was sent to research participants. So nice…but the value of participating? Priceless!
