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All University AI Policies

Carnegie Mellon UniversityAI Policy for Admissions

General Policy:Line-level editing allowedNo disclosure requiredNo compliance stated
  • PermissionCan you use AI?
    Line-level editing allowed
  • DisclosureMust you disclose AI use?
    No disclosure required
  • ComplianceHow is it verified?
    No compliance stated
01 What this means for your application

Generally safe

  • Use AI tools to catch typos, fix grammatical errors, and polish sentence-level mechanics before submitting.
  • Ask AI to flag passages that are unclear or poorly organized, then rewrite those sections yourself.
  • Lean on AI to suggest stronger word choices or more precise vocabulary — as long as you evaluate and own each change.

Things to Avoid

  • Do not let AI draft, rewrite, or ghostwrite any part of your essays — this applies with particular force at Heinz College and the ETC, where it is explicitly prohibited.
  • Avoid submitting AI-generated responses to program-specific questions, especially for ETC applications.
  • Do not use AI in a way that dilutes or replaces the personal perspective and lived experiences that make your application distinctively yours.
02 Policy evidence
03 Program-specific policies & specific guidelines

  • Heinz College Graduate Programs

    P4 • AI use prohibitedD0 • No disclosure requiredC2 • Uses screening tools

    “Submission of false, plagiarized or AI-generated material may result in automatic denial of admission”

    View Source

    Applies to: application essays

  • Entertainment Technology Center

    P4 • AI use prohibitedD0 • No disclosure requiredC0 • No compliance stated

    “Do not use ChatGPT or any other AI tools to generate responses”

    View Source

    Applies to: application responses

Allowed Uses

  • grammar and spelling checks
  • suggested structural improvements
  • vocabulary improvements

Not Allowed

  • replacing your unique voice, experiences and personal expression
  • writing any portion of essays (Heinz College, ETC)
  • generating responses (ETC)
04 Sources verified

Confidence: HighLast verified: 2026-04-02
05 Policy summary

  • The Tepper School of Business has no centralized AI policy on file, leaving applicants without clear guidance — erring on the side of minimal AI use is advisable.

  • Carnegie Mellon's undergraduate admissions office permits AI as a light editing aid — think grammar, spelling, structure, and vocabulary — but is explicit that it must never substitute for the applicant's own voice or experiences ((P2/D0)/C0).

  • Heinz College takes a stricter stance: AI use in application essays is outright prohibited, and the college employs active detection methods with automatic denial as a stated consequence — a notably higher-risk environment than the undergraduate process.

  • The Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) similarly bans AI-generated responses to its application questions, though it has not publicly described an compliance mechanism.

06 Additional context

CMU's undergraduate admissions FAQ explicitly addresses AI use, allowing it as a 'supplementary tool to enhance your writing' (grammar, spelling, structure, vocabulary) but stating AI should never replace the applicant's unique voice. This maps to (P2) (substantive editing assistance allowed, wholesale drafting not). The FAQ does not mention disclosure requirements or detection tools for undergrad applicants, so (D0) and (C0) at the university level. However, Heinz College graduate programs explicitly prohibit AI in essays (P4) with active detection methods (C2) and threat of automatic denial. The ETC also prohibits AI-generated responses (P4) but states no compliance mechanism (C0). The previous (C2) compliance rating at the university level has been downgraded to (C0) since the undergraduate admissions pages do not mention screening tools; only Heinz College describes detection methods.

07 Schools with similar policies

Columbia University

Line-level editing allowedNo disclosure requiredNo compliance stated

Olin College of Engineering

Line-level editing allowedNo disclosure requiredNo compliance stated

Colorado School of Mines

Line-level editing allowedNo disclosure requiredNo compliance stated

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