AI Detection and ChatGPT in Personal Statements
As the 2025 admissions cycle progresses, many students are wondering if they can use ChatGPT or similar tools to help with their UCAS personal statements. In recent months, admissions officers at several Russell Group universities have explained how they are using AI-detection software to screen personal statements. These tools look for patterns in language, structure, and style that suggest machine-generated writing. UCAS has also made it clear that personal statements must be written by the applicant. When universities suspect heavy use of AI or plagiarism, applications can be flagged, investigated, or rejected.
It is easy to see why some students are tempted. AI can produce smooth, polished paragraphs and can seem to make the entire process of writing easier. But admissions tutors are not looking for perfect phrases or internet-style essays; they want to hear the student’s own voice, their real academic interests, their curiosity and personal insight.
Is using ChatGPT cheating?
Because ChatGPT learns by drawing on the millions of pieces of available data online and in its ‘chats' with other users, everything produced by ChatGPT is at risk of being stolen from another source. Even if it creates a personal statement with no obviously copied sentences or elements, the very nature of ChatGPT means that it cannot produce original content.
The first plagiarism filter where the use of ChatGPT is likely to be detected is through UCAS, the UK’s centralised university application system. If a personal statement is flagged as being stolen or plagiarised, even in part, UCAS’s policy is this:
“If an applicant’s statement contains phrases or sentences that are identical to those held in UCAS’s student records, UCAS will notify each institution the applicant has applied to and contact the student directly to alert all parties to the fact that potential plagiarism has been identified.”
It is then up to each university to determine how to respond. Some universities invite the student to write a new personal statement. Some will immediately reject the candidate. For international applicants, the stakes are particularly high - a flagged application can damage their entire admissions plan, especially if they are relying on UK offers.
In 2023, a total of 7,300 personal statements were detected for plagiarism by UCAS - a figure that has increased by 105% from two years prior, when the number of plagiarised personal statements was 3,559. It’s been suggested that this increase is a direct result of students using AI to help write their personal statements. Relying on AI tends to produce vague and general essays. Many universities now train their teams to recognise the signs, even when software is not involved, and are taking additional steps to detect use of AI and ChatGPT in applications, both in the personal statement and at interviews.
The University of Cambridge, for example, states that “various methods will be used by interviewers to randomly check that AI tools are not being used. If there are serious concerns that your interview did not represent your own capabilities, this may put your application at a disadvantage.” They also warn that ChatGPT ‘may generate false claims…if these are about your personal achievements, they will be treated like any other application fraud.’
How William Clarence Can Help
William Clarence has years of experience helping top-tier applicants, both UK and international, to navigate the demands of university admissions. We stay on top of policy changes and know exactly what admissions teams want to see.
Our consultants, from Oxbridge applications specialists to medical school application experts, work closely with each student to craft a personal statement that reflects genuine strengths and achievements. We help shape ideas while always protecting the student’s authentic voice.
Families who work with us know they are getting expert, ethical support. We don’t believe in shortcuts, and we never rely on tools that risk harming an application. Instead, we help students stand out by developing thoughtful, original statements that show real academic potential.
If you or your child is preparing for an Oxbridge or UCAS application, now is the time to get tailored support. Book a meeting with one of our consultants today.