Brown 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?Manual review possible
Generally safe
- Seek feedback from human readers such as counselors, teachers, or trusted peers instead of AI platforms when you want substantive input on your essays.
- If you use any proofreading tool, be ready to confirm during the application process that your submissions are original and not AI-assisted — Brown requires this certification.
Things to Avoid
- Do not use any AI platform — including ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard, or Llama — to generate, draft, or contribute ideas to any part of your application materials.
- Do not run your essays or personal statements through an AI tool to reword, restructure, or otherwise reshape your writing, even if you plan to edit the output afterward.
- Do not use AI at any stage of the writing process — including early brainstorming sessions — for content that will appear in your application.
- Verified Feb 2026
“the use of artificial intelligence by an applicant is not permitted under any circumstances in conjunction with application content”
Integrity in the Application Process - Brown Undergraduate Admission - Verified Feb 2026
“AI may assist with spelling and grammar review like basic proofreading tools”
Integrity in the Application Process - Brown Undergraduate Admission - Verified Feb 2026
“the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence platform, technology, or algorithm”
Application Process - Brown University Master's Programs - Verified Feb 2026
“including but not limited to ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard, and Llama”
Application Process - Brown University Master's Programs
Master's Programs
P4 • AI use prohibitedD3 • Must attest no AI usedC0 • No compliance stated“the content of all essays, short-answer questions and any other material submitted by me is my own work”
View SourceApplies to: personal statement, short answers, application materials
Allowed Uses
- spelling and grammar review
Not Allowed
- AI-generated content of any kind in application materials
- using substantive content or output of an AI platform
- paraphrasing or rewriting with AI tools
- brainstorming or idea generation with AI
- presenting AI output as one's own original work
- https://admission.brown.edu/apply
- https://admission.brown.edu/apply/how-apply
- https://admission.brown.edu/apply/how-apply/tips-completing-your-application
- https://admission.brown.edu/ask/completing-application
- https://admission.brown.edu/international/application-process
- https://graduateschool.brown.edu/apply/application-faqs
- https://masters.brown.edu/admissions/application-process
- https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/10/the-potential-role-of-artificial-intelligence-in-college-admissions-advising
Brown University hub classification: (P4/D3/C1) — use program-specific pages when policies differ within the institution.
The undergraduate policy is reinforced through the Common App certification, which applicants sign at submission — Brown interprets this as covering AI-generated content, effectively creating a disclosure and attestation requirement (D3) at the undergrad level as well.
Brown explicitly prohibits AI use 'under any circumstances' in application content for undergrad applicants, with the narrow exception of basic spelling and grammar proofreading tools — making its stance among the strictest at any top university.
Brown has one of the strictest AI policies among top universities. Undergraduate admissions explicitly prohibits AI use under any circumstances for application content, allowing only basic spelling and grammar review. The master's programs admissions page contains an explicit attestation where applicants certify their work is their own and that AI was not used beyond spelling/grammar proofreading, specifically naming ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard, and Llama as prohibited tools. The Graduate School (PhD/MFA) does not have a standalone AI admissions policy but its Academic Code broadly covers dishonesty. Dean of Admission Logan Powell has stated applicants should not use AI in any portion of their application submission. Brown conducts random verification of admitted students' credentials as a fraud deterrence measure. Upgraded disclosure from (D0) to (D3) because both undergraduate (via Common App certification referencing AI) and master's programs require applicants to certify their work is original and not AI-generated.
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