Outsmarting ChatGPT with Creativity in Your College Application Essay

With over 25% of students using ChatGPT to write their essays, your teen has a chance to really stand out from the crowd. While this AI can logically combine facts, it lacks true creativity. To write a compelling essay, students need imagination ChatGPT doesn't have. So encourage your senior to dig deep and write from their unique personality, life experiences and dreams that no bot could ever replicate. This is their opportunity to go beyond artificial intelligence and let their humanity shine through.

ChatGPT seems so smart, churning out essays left and right. But there are still college essay secrets this AI can't crack. The key? Outsmart it with creativity it could never understand.


While ChatGPT can write, it lacks imagination. It just combines data to form logical ideas. To go beyond artificial intelligence, tap into your humanity.


Share a metaphor only you could invent to describe your childhood home. Or weave in made-up words you and friends use. These creative flourishes showcase your innovation.


Some tips to tap your creativity:


  • Brainstorm wild ideas without judgment first. The quirkier the better.
  • Draw or diagram your ideas visually.
  • Freewrite to access your subconscious thoughts.
  • Try unusual formats like lyrics or a script.
  • The most imaginative part of you is what makes you distinctly human. Lean into that creative power. Show admissions officers how you see the world in your own way.


At the end of the day, AI lacks true originality. But you have an imagination beyond any technology. Let your ingenuity and innovation shine through. Dazzle them with your unique you-ness and perspectives no bot could conjure.


Flaunt your ability to think differently. Use your essay to prove imagination beats AI any day. Embrace all that makes you wonderfully weird. The unconventional ideas you dream up are what will make admissions teams take notice.


So put on your creative cap and outsmart that bot! Your one-of-a-kind mind is your secret weapon.


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