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Does Swarthmore College allow AI in college essays?

AI ok for brainstorming and mechanics only, and must be cited.

Allowed with limits AI ok for brainstorming and mechanics only, and must be cited.

Swarthmore's official admissions guidance allows limited AI help at the beginning or end of the process, such as brainstorming topics or feedback on readability and mechanics. It prohibits asking AI to outline or draft an essay, translate writing into English, modify tone, or rewrite a significant portion. Any AI-generated content submitted must be acknowledged or cited.

Allowed

Brainstorming topics, feedback on readability, spelling, and mechanics

Not allowed

Outlining or drafting essays, translation, tone modification, rewriting significant portions

Source: Swarthmore College Admissions Guidance on AI, official AI policy. Last checked August 2026. Policies change, so confirm on the school's site before you rely on it.

The rule underneath every school

Whatever a specific school says, one standard applies almost everywhere: the Common App counts submitting the substantive content or output of an AI platform as your own work as fraud, added to its policy in 2023, while still permitting grammar checks and early topic brainstorming. So the safe line is always the same, use AI to think, never to write the words you submit. (More in Is It OK to Use AI? and How to Use AI the Right Way.)

Use AI on your Swarthmore College application the right way.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Swarthmore College allow you to use AI on your application?

Swarthmore's official admissions guidance allows limited AI help at the beginning or end of the process, such as brainstorming topics or feedback on readability and mechanics. It prohibits asking AI to outline or draft an essay, translate writing into English, modify tone, or rewrite a significant portion. Any AI-generated content submitted must be acknowledged or cited.

Can Swarthmore College detect AI in essays?

AI detectors are unreliable and no school treats a flag as proof, so detection is not the real risk. The real risk is that AI-written essays read generic to admissions officers. Write the essay yourself and use AI only to brainstorm and get feedback.

See AI policies for other schools or check your chances at Swarthmore College.