logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
22m 43s

AI and College Essays: Wrong Question, W...

INSIDE THE YALE ADMISSIONS OFFICE
About this episode

The sudden availability of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have raised new questions about authorship, plagiarism, and fairness in college admissions. Hannah and Mark discuss why they think these tools are unlikely to help applicants gain an advantage in Yale’s selection process and why questions about generative-AI are the wrong starting point for understanding how to compose an effective college essay. LLMs can appear very knowledgeable, but they are inevitably ignorant of the foundation of any successful application: the unique person applying.

Up next
Oct 30
Financial Aid – A How-to Guide
Yale recently expanded its financial aid program to cover tuition costs for families with annual incomes below $200,000. Director of Undergraduate Financial Aid Kari DiFonzo joins Hannah and Mark to discuss the news, to share how families can get personalized estimates of their c ... Show More
30 m
Oct 19
What Happens to Your Application After You Submit?
The admissions process can seem like a mysterious black box. Your application goes in one side and, a few weeks later, a decision comes out the other. At Yale, real people make decisions at every stage of review, and every student is admitted by a committee. Hannah and Mark walk ... Show More
24m 30s
Oct 13
What Yale Looks For, Part 2: Supporting Others
Continuing their in-depth review of what Yale admissions officers look for, Hannah and Mark discuss the importance of making a positive impact on others and review how different application components demonstrate students’ support for those around them. The episode explains how o ... Show More
30m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Suspicion, Cheating and Bans: A.I. Hits America’s Schools
<p>Since its introduction less than a year ago, ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence platform that can write essays, solve math problems and write computer code, has sparked an anguished debate in the world of education. Is it a useful research tool or an irresistible license to ... Show More
29m 16s
Jun 2023
Free Speech Hypocrisy, Hot Bench Troubles, And ChatGPT Legal Research
Maybe the woman who called the cops on a Black birdwatcher should try using ChatGPT to make up some fake caselaw for her appeal because the real ones aren't helping. After a year of sword rattling that higher education is "hostile to free speech" because students don't appropriat ... Show More
36m 8s
Oct 2025
On Campus Hiring Is Broken, And This Isn't Helping
Just in time for the AI slop to take over. ----- Some law firms are handing out recruiting entertainment budgets to law students. While we don't fault law students some sweet walking around money, placing that power in the hands of students highlights the breakdown in the law sch ... Show More
38m 8s
Apr 2023
Why AI is incredibly smart -- and shockingly stupid | Yejin Choi
Computer scientist Yejin Choi is here to demystify the current state of massive artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, highlighting three key problems with cutting-edge large language models (including some funny instances of them failing at basic commonsense reasoning.) S ... Show More
16m 7s
Feb 2023
What does the current state of AI mean for Higher Ed?
ChatGPT made waves when it was launched in Q4 2022. Is this the iPhone moment for Artificial Intelligence? Now it's freely available and easy to use - what does this mean for marketers and educators? Do we all need to learn prompt writing skills?   Have a go for yourself: https:/ ... Show More
13m 27s
Jun 2023
Free Speech Hypocrisy, Hot Bench Troubles, And ChatGPT Legal Research
Maybe the woman who called the cops on a Black birdwatcher should try using ChatGPT to make up some fake caselaw for her appeal because the real ones aren't helping. After a year of sword rattling that higher education is "hostile to free speech" because students don't appropriat ... Show More
36m 8s
Aug 2022
60. 11 College Admissions Myths: Debunking Common Misconceptions about the College Application Process
<p>On today’s episode, we chat with Padya Paramita, a Columba MFA graduate, InGenius Prep Graduate Coach, and writing professor at the University of New Haven. Padya and I break down 11 college admissions myths and misconceptions, including:</p> <ul><li>MYTH #1 - True or False: L ... Show More
27m 55s
Feb 2024
216 Rachel Chung - Myths & Truths About AI
<p>It's been a little over a year now since most of us were introduced to ChatGPT. Since that time, many professionals, businesses and organizations have worked hard to understand not only ChatGPT, but    machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, and what it all can do to ass ... Show More
19m 47s
Apr 2025
Co-Intelligence: Using AI to Think Better, Create More, and Live Smarter
The era of artificially intelligent large language models is upon us and isn't going away. Rather, AI tools like ChatGPT are only going to get better and better and affect more and more areas of human life.If you haven't yet felt both amazed and unsettled by these technologies, y ... Show More
57m 46s