With AI becoming an increasingly important part of our daily lives, you may be wondering whether its use in your application will help or hurt your chances of being admitted to a top MBA programme.

Admissions teams are increasingly encountering applications where the use of AI is obvious; generic essays, minimal personalisation, and text that reads like it’s been copied from the business school’s own website. Regardless of the ongoing debate around the accuracy of AI-detection tools, these essays often lack authenticity and fail to make a strong impression. Bear in mind that admissions teams read hundreds of essays; relying on AI to write yours is not the route to crafting a standout application.

That said, there are smart ways to use AI as a tool to support your essay-writing process. For example, you could ask a tool to act as an Admissions Director at X School of Business and provide feedback on your first draft. You could also use AI to enhance your vocabulary or help brainstorm structure and flow. The point is this: AI shouldn’t write your essay, but it can help you improve it.

When I speak with Admissions Directors, one theme comes up time and again: authenticity matters. They want candidates to use the application to tell their story and articulate their goals. Crafting a standout MBA application requires careful planning, deep introspection, and clear motivation. And no AI tool can do that work on your behalf.