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University of California, MercedAI Policy for Admissions

General Policy:Line-level editing allowedNo disclosure requiredUses screening tools
  • PermissionCan you use AI?
    Line-level editing allowed
  • DisclosureMust you disclose AI use?
    No disclosure required
  • ComplianceHow is it verified?
    Uses screening tools

Quick Answer: Can you use AI at University of California, Merced?

University of California, Merced permits limited AI assistance — specifically for improving organization, clarity, and readability of your writing — but the ideas, experiences, and final words in your application must be authentically your own.

  • Disclosure: University of California, Merced does not require applicants to disclose or formally declare their use of AI tools in the admissions process.

  • Compliance: University of California, Merced participates in UC system-wide screening of Personal Insight Question responses through plagiarism detection software, so submissions flagged as non-original writing may face scrutiny.

01 What this means for your application

Generally safe

  • Run your completed draft through AI for grammar and spelling review, accepting only corrections you personally agree with.
  • Ask an AI to suggest ways to make your writing clearer or more concise, then manually rewrite any suggestions in your own words.
  • Leverage AI for initial brainstorming sessions to surface topics or themes worth exploring, treating its output as a starting point rather than a script.

Things to Avoid

  • Never paste AI-generated text directly into your application without substantially rewriting it in your own authentic voice.
  • Avoid presenting AI-crafted language as a reflection of your own experiences — evaluators are looking for your unique perspective, not polished generic prose.
02 Policy evidence

Allowed Uses

  • structure and readability assistance
  • brainstorming and topic exploration
  • grammar and spelling checks
  • editing with caution

Not Allowed

  • generating complete PIQ responses
  • submitting AI-generated text as your own
  • copying and pasting AI output without rewriting
03 Sources verified

Confidence: HighLast verified: 2026-04-14
04 Policy summary

  • UC system experts draw a clear line: AI may assist with structure and readability, but the final submission must be the student's own creation in their own words.

  • UC Merced has no campus-specific AI admissions policy; all guidance flows from UC system-level standards, with the most authoritative source being the October 2025 UC admissions guidance.

  • No disclosure of AI tool use is required, but that does not reduce the expectation that writing reflects the applicant's genuine voice and lived experiences.

05 Additional context

UC Merced has no campus-specific AI admissions policy. Policy is governed at the UC system level. UC admissions experts explicitly state AI can help with structure and readability but the final submission must be the student's own creation. UC runs PIQ responses through plagiarism detection software. Compliance downgraded from (C3) to (C2): UC uses plagiarism screening tools but does not require proctored/on-site writing samples or contingent offers. The Oct 2025 UC guidance is the most recent and authoritative source. Graduate admissions at UC Merced also have no specific AI policy found.

06 Schools with similar policies

University of California, Riverside

Line-level editing allowedNo disclosure requiredUses screening tools

UC Davis

Line-level editing allowedNo disclosure requiredUses screening tools

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