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Southern Methodist UniversityAI Policy for Admissions

General Policy:AI use prohibitedMust attest no AI usedManual review possible
  • PermissionCan you use AI?
    AI use prohibited
  • DisclosureMust you disclose AI use?
    Must attest no AI used
  • ComplianceHow is it verified?
    Manual review possible
01 What this means for your application

Generally safe

  • Use AI tools for general research about SMU programs, deadlines, or campus life — none of that touches your actual application materials.
  • Draft outlines or brainstorm ideas on paper or through your own thinking process before writing any essays or statements entirely in your own words.

Things to Avoid

  • Do not use any AI writing, editing, paraphrasing, or generation tools — even lightly — when crafting application essays, personal statements, or short-answer responses.
  • Do not rely on AI chatbots or tools to help you prepare, rehearse, or structure answers for admission interviews or evaluations.
02 Policy evidence

  • “I confirm that I have completed my admission application to this SMU graduate program without any artificial intelligence (AI) assistance.”

    Policy: AI Usage on SMU Graduate Application

  • “All elements of my application, including essays, statements, and responses, are the product of my own effort and creativity.”

    Policy: AI Usage on SMU Graduate Application

  • “Any violation of this commitment may result in the disqualification of my application.”

    Policy: AI Usage on SMU Graduate Application
03 Program-specific policies & specific guidelines

  • Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies (all graduate programs)

    P4 • AI use prohibitedD3 • Must attest no AI usedC1 • Manual review possible

    “I confirm that I have completed my admission application to this SMU graduate program without any artificial intelligence (AI) assistance.”

    View Source

    Applies to: application essays, personal statements, short answers, interview responses

  • Undergraduate Admissions

    P0 • No explicit policyD0 • No disclosure requiredC0 • No compliance stated

    “No AI-specific policy found on undergraduate admissions pages.”

    View Source

    Applies to: supplemental essays

Not Allowed

  • any AI assistance in application essays, statements, or responses
  • AI-assisted preparation for admission interviews or evaluations
04 Sources verified

Confidence: HighLast verified: 2026-01-02
05 Policy summary

  • Violation of the attestation is not treated lightly — SMU explicitly warns that non-compliance may result in full application disqualification.

  • The pledge explicitly extends beyond written materials to cover admission interviews and evaluations, making it one of the broader AI-use restrictions among graduate programs.

  • Compliance is classified as manual (C1): no AI detection software or proctored writing is mentioned; the policy relies on the signed pledge and admissions staff evaluating authenticity of voice.

06 Additional context

SMU Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies requires all graduate applicants to sign an attestation on the final page of their application confirming zero AI assistance in essays, statements, and responses. The pledge extends to admission interviews. Violation may result in disqualification. No undergraduate admissions AI policy was found; undergraduate essay tips emphasize authenticity and personal voice but do not mention AI. The overall (P4) classification reflects the graduate-level policy; undergraduate admissions is effectively (P0). Compliance downgraded from (C3) to (C1) because no proctored writing or AI detection tools are mentioned; the policy relies on the signed attestation and readers evaluating authenticity.

07 Schools with similar policies

Brown University

AI use prohibitedMust attest no AI usedManual review possible

Harvard University

AI use prohibitedMust attest no AI usedManual review possible

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