School AI policies · Swarthmore College
Does Swarthmore College allow AI help with college essays?
Permits brainstorming and feedback on readability, spelling, and mechanics; prohibits AI drafting, rewriting, translation, or tone changes
What Swarthmore College publishes
“Whether you are getting help from AI or another person, we recommend that any assistance with writing comes at the beginning or end of the process — such as brainstorming ideas for essay topics or asking for feedback on readability, spelling, and mechanics. [Not acceptable:] 'Asking AI or another person to outline or draft an application essay' … 'Using AI to modify the tone of your writing (e.g., rewriting to sound more academic or conversational)' … 'Asking AI or another person to rewrite a significant portion of your essay(s)' … As you would when quoting or citing work from human creators, the submission of any AI-generated writing, audio, video, or graphic content in your application must include proper acknowledgement or citation.”
Swarthmore publishes dedicated admissions guidance on AI use. The recommended examples cover brainstorming and feedback on readability, spelling, and mechanics; the list of work that counts as substantially created by AI or another person covers outlining, drafting, translating, rewriting significant portions, and changing the tone. Substantive critique of a completed draft sits between those lists, so this reads narrower than a general feedback permission, and any AI-generated content submitted requires citation. The bracketed label is ours; the page introduces the list as examples of work you are not submitting.
Verified October 16, 2026 · published policy
Do your own fact-checking. This page is a starting point, not the authority. The school's own admissions pages are. Policies can change after our check date (October 16, 2026), and you are responsible for verifying Swarthmore College's current policy yourself before you rely on it, here or anywhere else.
What this means on CollegeEssayPanel
Reviews naming Swarthmore College proceed. Seven AI reviewers score your essay, debate it, and return revision directions, never written or rewritten essay text. You stay the author, and your report carries a reminder to verify the school's current policy yourself.
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