AI Hallmarks & Warning Signs

• Does the essay have a title? Most students don’t include titles in their CAPS, since they count toward their overall word count. (The one exception is if they wrote it as an assignment for an English class, in which case it often includes the student’s name, the date, etc.) AI-generated essays sometimes include titles that relate to the larger metaphor or larger message the student is trying to communicate (and potentially prompted the AI with).
• For example, one AI-generated essay we saw was about a student on a swim team titled “The Ripple I Want To Leave Behind.” Another was about a father’s cancer diagnosis and was simply called “Living With Uncertainty.”
 

• Em dashes: Who doesn’t love an em dash? Lots of people do, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that something is AI-generated! But an abundance of em dashes, combined with lists of three (more on that below!) or overly elevated/trite vocabulary, can serve as an extra piece of evidence that something might be AI-generated.

• Overly Structured Writing: AI tends to produce essays with clear, clean paragraph transitions that follow expected narrative arcs. There is usually a pat, predictable formula - the student encountered X difficulty, then realized Y, then presents a list of ways they’ve now changed to be more Z. Real student essays often have one section that’s overinflated, another that’s too skimpy - but you’ll get the sense that they care about certain details or parts of the story. AI will be balanced but will lack the emotional connection, and it’s often hard to follow the arc of students’ growth. Suddenly, ‘everything shifts’, ’ their ‘perspective changed’, they ‘realized it wasn’t about ______, but __________ ’ without explaining what sparked that realization or how Section 1 of the essay led to the specific takeaways or growth that they go on to discuss in Section 3.

• Polished Language and Vocabulary: The writing may use sophisticated phrasing that feels out of step with a typical high school student's voice.

• Common Sentence Structures: AI loves to use lists of threes - everything has three components, or three factors, or three descriptors! Just seeing one list of three shouldn’t necessarily make you suspicious. However, when that triplet structure repeats two or three times per paragraph, or if all three things in the list have very similar, almost identical meanings that don’t give the reader new insight or new details, it should give you pause.
• Another common structure is the ‘it’s not only _________, but also _________’ formatting! This is a clunkier construction that’s often easy to cut entirely because it clutters up the word count without giving new insight into how the second detail is different from the first one. You’ll also see ‘What started as ____________ then became ___________’, which runs into similar issues as using common narrative arcs - the student will show you A and Z and completely leave out the middle details that explain how this situation transformed from one thing to another.
 

• Generic or Broad Reflections: Conclusions often feel universally applicable (e.g., “I learned to persevere,” “the experience shaped my growth,” “I realized the value of teamwork,” etc.) rather than personal, and sometimes they aren’t even appropriate for the theme of the essay.

• Lack of Unique Details: Specific moments, dialogue, or idiosyncratic observations are often missing, which are hallmarks of human writing.

• Conversations/Discussions/Curiosities: A lack of detail often really stands out when students write about having conversations with friends or family; there’s never any description of the content - it’s all just generally speaking up, joking, conspiring, bonding, etc., with no specifics.
• Last year, we noticed a number of essays discussing important relationships where a key factor was the ability to talk to a person about anything, but no mention of what “anything” was in this situation.
• When students write about participating more in classroom conversations, AI essays don’t provide any details but often mention things like, “I was no longer chasing correct answers but wrestling with difficult questions.” But there is no context about what those questions are, or even sometimes what subject they’re wrestling with.
• When it comes to communicating or collaborating in larger groups or clubs, AI essays often discuss listening carefully and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard, learning to find consensus or value everyone’s input, and building bridges between people with separate viewpoints. But, again, there are no specifics of what different perspectives they were having to balance, what they were listening to, or how they made sure everyone felt heard. 
 

• Even Tone Throughout: Essays may lack emotional highs, lows, or imperfections, creating a smooth but artificial flow.

Supplement Specific Flags

• Leadership Essays: Generative AI loves to describe things as quiet, and one of the most noticeable areas where this turns up is in essays about leadership. A frequent takeaway AI includes in these essays is that leadership isn’t about being the loudest one in the crowd, the one with the megaphone, the one in the spotlight, the one calling all the shots, but is about a quiet kind of dignity (that often appears to simply be participating in the activity).

• Why Us/Why Major Essays: The differences between a student-written, very generic Why Us or Why Major essay and an AI-generated one are a little difficult to spot, since the general language and sweeping statements about the greatness of the school are very common! One thing to watch out for is that a student who has used AI to write a Why Us/Why Major essay and is trying to prompt it to be more specific often ends up with references that don’t sound accurate.
• For example, referring to a computer science internship that actually just sounds like a job posting, or a research lab or course with material so advanced that it’s only for graduate students, or discussing majors for a school that calls them concentrations, etc. It’s not necessary to Google every reference a student includes in a Why School essay, but if there are a number of them that sound off, or ones you know from your personal experience aren’t accurate, it may be worth asking more questions.

• Describe an Activity Essay: The biggest red flag for AI-influenced essays about this topic is that it will be hard to understand what exactly the student did in the activity. For instance, there is a description of a club whose goal is to spread awareness of mental health issues, but you never figure out how this awareness is spread or what they do in the club to spread that message. Similarly, it’s hard to tell how the student feels about the activity - do they care about it at all, or have any parts of it that are meaningful to them? (This, of course, is definitely not an AI-only issue, but is really noticeable in AI-generated responses!)

⬇️ Take a look at the following Why Us? essays, one written by AI, the other by a student:

As a high school senior eagerly planning my next academic chapter, I find myself drawn to the University of Illinois for a myriad of compelling reasons. This esteemed institution, nestled in the heart of the Midwest, embodies the perfect blend of academic excellence, a vibrant community, and a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity.

The University of Illinois’ reputation for cutting-edge research and innovative learning opportunities aligns perfectly with my desire to challenge myself and contribute to meaningful discoveries. Whether it’s collaborating with faculty on groundbreaking projects, accessing state-of-the-art resources, or diving into interdisciplinary coursework, I am excited to immerse myself in an environment that prioritizes both intellectual growth and real-world impact.

Beyond academics, the university’s vibrant campus culture promises a community where I can grow not just as a student, but as a person. From its diverse student body to its wealth of extracurricular opportunities—whether joining student-led organizations, participating in cultural events, or volunteering through community outreach programs—I see the University of Illinois as a place where I can build lasting relationships, learn from different perspectives, and contribute meaningfully to campus life.

Looking forward to my next academic chapter, I am enthused to pursue a degree in the School of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois for a plethora of reasons. I'm invested in the Midwestern values that the UIUC community offers, especially considering that you have the most students of color among top-ranked Midwest universities.

Looking forward to my next academic chapter, I am enthused to pursue a degree in the School of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois for a plethora of reasons. I'm invested in the Midwestern values that the UIUC community offers, especially considering that you have the most students of color among top-ranked Midwest universities.

I am eager to participate in opportunities for mentorship and to also build community through programs like SEEDS. As a first-generation student, I know this community will be an invaluable support to me, and someday, I hope to become a mentor myself.

I have created many films as a budding filmmaker, but I have had limited resources. At the University of Illinois, I know I won't be looked down upon because of classes like Smart Phone Cinema and Popular Culture MACS 320. Of course, I'm also excited to start using professional tools in the cutting-edge studios and to work with professors who are also experts in the field and will teach me all of the skills I need to be a successful filmmaker!