In the past three days, I've reviewed over 100 essays from the 2024-2025 college admissions cycle. Here's how I could tell which ones were written by ChatGPT : r/ApplyingToCollege
An experienced college essay reviewer identifies seven distinct patterns that reveal ChatGPT's writing "fingerprint" in admission essays, demonstrating how AI-generated content, despite being well-written, often lacks originality and follows predictable patterns that make it detectable to experienced readers.
Seven key indicators of ChatGPT-written essays:
- Specific vocabulary choices (e.g., "delve," "tapestry")
- Limited types of extended metaphors (weaving, cooking, painting, dance, classical music)
- Distinctive punctuation patterns (em dashes, mixed apostrophe styles)
- Frequent use of tricolons (three-part phrases), especially ascending ones
- Common phrase pattern: "I learned that the true meaning of X is not only Y, it's also Z"
- Predictable future-looking conclusions: "As I progress... I will carry..."
- Multiple ending syndrome (similar to Lord of the Rings movies)