The Foreign Service Journal, June 2023

58 JUNE 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT Growth and self-knowledge. College Essay Guy Ethan Sawyer points out that using generative AI to write essays “doesn’t provide students the same opportunity for personal growth” they might otherwise have working with a coach or even on their own. “This process can serve as a sort of rite of passage, teaching students valuable insights about themselves along the way. I worry that AI may skip over that.” Indeed, as an essay coach, I’ve helped students dig deep into their motivations and their values. You’ll embark on a jour- ney of self-discovery if you keep asking yourself, almost like a 3-year-old, “Why?” Why, in a room full of swim-team trophies, is the “most improved in calcu- lus” certificate more important to you? Because I had to work so much harder at calculus . Why did you choose to work so hard? Because I needed to prove that I could master something difficult . Why did you need to prove this? Because I come from privilege and actually wanted to experience firsthand the rewards of sweat- ing through an uncertain outcome . When you approach your essays in this way, writing them becomes a deep and rich process that you’ll miss if you use generative AI. (Full disclosure: I have worked as an essay coach for College Essay Guy, as well as for several other companies.) Pride of accomplishment. Making the writing process easier is a tempting but temporary fix. Confidently knowing your capabilities is permanent. Brain- storming, structuring, writing a rough draft, and fine-tuning to write exactly what you want to write with depth and thoughtfulness—this process sends an important message to your psyche about your own resources and skills. Using AI to write for you sends a very different message: that you’re not up for the job. That’s not the subliminal Can college admissions officers determine if an application essay is AI-generated?