Manhattan Prep/Kaplan Survey: Most Future Business School Applicants Wary About Unrestricted Use of AI in Admissions Essays
May 08 2024 - 8:55AM
Business Wire
A new Manhattan Prep/Kaplan survey of more than 300 aspiring MBA
students finds mixed attitudes toward GenAI and its use in the
admissions process.* Of those polled, 56 percent think they should
be allowed to use AI tools to help them write their admissions
essays, but only with certain guidelines and restrictions; 20
percent don’t think they should be allowed under any circumstances;
18 percent said use should be unrestricted; the remaining 7 percent
were unsure. A separate Manhattan Prep/Kaplan survey of business
school admissions officers found that only a handful of business
schools have policies in place directing students how they can use
AI in their admissions essays, signaling the issue is still
unsettled.**
Other findings from the survey of aspiring MBA students
include:
- There is some concern among those polled that allowing
applicants to use GenAI in their admissions essays gives them an
unearned edge. Exactly half say it unfairly levels the playing
field for applicants who don’t possess strong writing skills; 32
percent don’t believe that to be the case; the remaining 18 percent
are unsure.
- Of those surveyed, 60 percent said they would likely use AI in
their admissions essays if the schools they were applying to
allowed it; 24 percent said they were unlikely to use it; 16
percent said they were unsure.
- But once applicants have proven their mettle, those polled see
things a bit differently. Two-thirds (67 percent) say business
schools should allow enrolled students to use GenAI as part of
their classwork/academic experience, with certain guidelines and
restrictions; 20 percent believe enrolled students should be
allowed to use GenAI with no restrictions at all; 8 percent said it
shouldn’t be allowed under any circumstances; the remaining 6
percent were unsure.
- And when asked how often they use AI in the workplace or in
their personal lives, 8 percent said “always”; 25 percent said
“frequently”; 38 percent said “occasionally”; 19 percent said
“rarely”; and 10 percent said “never.”
“Aspiring MBA students are going to have to take the GMAT exam
without the use of GenAI. And they also built up their GPAs without
using it either, considering how new the technology is, so it’s not
surprising that many think it's necessary for business schools to
put guardrails around its use in the admissions process. At the
same time, our results show that many are eager to use GenAI to
their advantage if allowed,” said Stacey Koprince, director of
content and curriculum, Manhattan Prep, which is owned by Kaplan.
“While results from Manhattan Prep and Kaplan’s most recent
business school admissions officers survey show that most MBA
programs have no policy at all when it comes to allowing applicants
to use GenAI in admissions essays, we don’t believe that’s a
tenable long-term position, as they will increasingly get questions
from prospective students who want to know the boundaries of
acceptable use. Our prediction: Many business schools will be
developing GenAI policies in the coming year."
Contact russell.schaffer@kaplan.com to speak with a business
school admissions expert.
*The online Manhattan Prep/Kaplan survey was conducted in
March-April 2024 and included responses from 306 aspiring business
school students across the United States. All answers were rounded
to the nearest whole number.
**Based on the results of a Manhattan Prep/Kaplan survey
conducted by phone and email in August 2023-February 2024 of 75
business schools across the United States; among them are 8 of the
top 50 schools, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
About Kaplan
Kaplan, Inc. is a global educational services company that helps
individuals and institutions advance their goals in an
ever-changing world. Our broad portfolio of solutions help students
and professionals further their education and careers, universities
and educational institutions attract and support students, and
businesses maximize employee recruitment, retainment, and
development. Stanley Kaplan founded our company in 1938 with a
mission to expand educational opportunities for students of all
backgrounds. Today, our thousands of employees working in 27
countries/regions continue Stanley’s mission as they serve about
1.2 million students and professionals, 15,000 corporate clients,
and 3,300 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities
worldwide. Kaplan is a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company
(NYSE: GHC). Learn more at kaplan.com.
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings
Company (NYSE: GHC)
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Press: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com,
917.822.8190 Twitter: @KaplanEdNews
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