By Rosemary Hilliard, Senior Director of Admissions & Financial Aid
The 2027-2028 master’s degree application is now open. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, many applicants have questions about how they can and cannot use this technology during the application process. In the following blog post, I explain the Admissions Committee’s guidelines for using AI, share a few examples of appropriate and inappropriate uses, and offer advice for submitting an application that reflects your authentic voice.
What’s allowed and what’s not allowed
All materials submitted as part of your application (essays, resume, etc.) must be your own, original work. AI is only permitted for assisting with edits to your materials and/or identifying issues such as spelling or grammatical errors. An easy way to think about our AI policy is this: is it ok to ask a human to proofread your essays? Yes. Is it ok to ask them to write your essays for you? No. The same rules apply to using AI. You should also not use AI to translate your essays into English.
If it would be inappropriate to ask a person to do work for you, it is just as inappropriate to use AI.
Recommendations for utilizing AI
As noted above, AI can be a great option for identifying spelling and grammatical errors. It can also be helpful for organizing your thoughts. I once had an applicant tell me that they uploaded their resume to a large language model (LLM) and then asked the tool to interview them based on our essay prompts. They used these “interviews” to help them decide what to write about, which I thought was such a creative idea. Another thoughtful use for AI is helping to identify programs you might be interested in applying to. You could enter your personal statistics (i.e. years of work experience, GPA, standardized test scores, etc.) and interests and ask an LLM to create a list of Master in Public Policy or Master in Public Administration programs that are a good match for your profile.
Additionally, I am very curious about how applicant use of generative AI has evolved over the past few years. This cycle, I added an optional question to the application that invites applicants to share how they used AI—if at all—throughout the application process. The question is 100% optional and answers will not be shared with the Admissions Committee or have any impact on an applicant’s admission decision. I am hopeful that applicants will be willing to answer it truthfully. Answers to this question will help me understand whether our application process is keeping up with emerging technologies and if it is still the best way to assess a candidate’s readiness for HKS.
Consequences for misusing AI
By applying to HKS, you certify that the information in your application is accurate, completely and honestly presented, and that your materials have not been written, rewritten, or translated by anyone other than yourself. Submitting information that has been written by someone—or something—else is a violation of this policy. If the Admissions Committee suspects that any part of your application is untruthful or that you have used AI in an inappropriate manner, your admissions decision could be impacted.
It is obvious when someone has used AI in a way that violates our policy—don’t do it!
Be your authentic self
Authenticity is perhaps the most important part of your application to HKS. When reviewing your application, the Admissions Committee is not only trying to determine your fit for HKS, but also our fit for you! I would so much rather read an application that isn’t 100% polished versus one that is technically perfect but devoid of passion and authenticity. Let your achievements and aspirations shine through in your own words!
