Brigham Young UniversityAI Policy for Admissions
- PermissionCan you use AI?AI use prohibited
- DisclosureMust you disclose AI use?Must attest no AI used
- ComplianceHow is it verified?Uses screening tools
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at Brigham Young University?
Brigham Young University explicitly prohibits the use of generative AI tools in composing admissions essays and activity responses, and applicants must agree to an Essays and Activities Commitment that enforces this ban for undergraduate and transfer applicants.
Disclosure: Brigham Young University requires all applicants to formally certify, through the Essays and Activities Commitment, that their submissions were not composed with the assistance of AI tools.
Compliance: Brigham Young University actively uses automated software to screen all admissions essays and activity responses for AI-generated content, and reserves the right to rescind any offer of admission if AI use is detected.
Generally safe
- Ask trusted friends, family members, or teachers to read your drafts and give feedback on how clearly your ideas come across.
- Reach out directly to BYU admissions representatives if you have questions about essay prompts — they offer free guidance.
- Write your essays entirely in your own voice and draw on personal experiences that genuinely reflect who you are.
- Proofread and revise your own work using spell-check or grammar tools that do not generate or rewrite content for you.
Things to Avoid
- Do not use any AI writing or chatbot tools — such as ChatGPT or similar platforms — to draft, outline, or rephrase any part of your application essays.
- Do not hire tutors, consultants, or any paid services to write or heavily revise your essays on your behalf.
- Do not submit essay content that was wholly or partially produced by an AI system, even if you edited it afterward.
- Do not assume that light AI editing or paraphrasing is acceptable — BYU's policy broadly covers AI-composed content.
- Verified Feb 2026
“You may not use generative AI tools (like ChatGPT) as you compose your responses”
Essays & Activities - Verified Feb 2026
“We use software tools to analyze the admission essays and activity responses of all students”
Essays & Activities - Verified Feb 2026
“BYU may rescind the admission offer of any student whose essay is found to have been generated by AI”
Essays & Activities
Allowed Uses
- having others read and review essays for clarity
- asking BYU representatives for free help with essay questions
Not Allowed
- using generative AI tools like ChatGPT for composing responses
- paying anyone to help with application essays
- submitting AI-generated content
- https://enrollment.byu.edu/admissions/application-help
- https://enrollment.byu.edu/admissions/how-to-apply
- https://genai.byu.edu/academic-integrity
- https://policy.byu.edu/view/academic-honesty-policy
- https://gradstudies.byu.edu/admissions
- https://gradprogram.chem.byu.edu/graduate-program/ai-policy
- https://rwc.byu.edu/writinghelp/generative-ai
Automated screening software is applied to all submitted essays and activity responses, meaning AI detection is not just a stated policy — it is an active compliance mechanism.
BYU holds one of the most explicit and strictly enforced AI bans in undergraduate admissions, requiring applicants to sign an Essays and Activities Commitment that directly prohibits generative AI tools.
Consequences are severe: BYU has publicly stated it may rescind admission offers for any student whose essay is found to contain AI-generated content.
No equivalent AI admissions policy was identified for BYU graduate programs; the prohibition applies specifically to undergraduate and transfer applicants, and the Marriott School of Business has no centralized AI stance on file.
Clear prohibition on AI use for admissions essays with software-based compliance and admission rescission consequences. Applicants must agree to the Essays and Activities Commitment which explicitly bans generative AI tools. The policy applies specifically to undergraduate and transfer admissions; no equivalent AI policy was found for graduate admissions applications. BYU's Chemistry graduate program has a separate AI policy for scholarly work (theses/dissertations) but that does not apply to admissions.
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