If you’re thinking about letting ChatGPT write your application essay—or if you’re worried about being upstaged by applicants who use AI to write their essays—this post is for you.

I ask of every sentence, “Could someone else use this sentence in their essay?” If the answer is yes, then that sentence either needs to go or to change.

It’s not enough to describe your academic and research interests with intelligence and precision. You must also demonstrate how those interests match those of the faculty and the program as a whole.

It’s important to show readers that you’re the kind of student that they’d like to have in their classes, the kind of advisee they’d like to mentor, or the kind of intern or assistant they’d like to supervise. This means that you not only need to come across as capable but also as someone they’ll appreciate having around.

Unlike essays for the Common App, school-specific essays often give applicants the opportunity to describe why they are drawn to that particular school and how they envision contributing to the specific campus community.

There may be hundreds—or even thousands—of other applicants with similar transcripts, GPAs, and test scores. Your essay is an opportunity to show what you bring to the table that others don’t.