More artificial intelligence tools are becoming available at San Francisco State University and other colleges. Students could be at a disadvantage if they don’t gain experience using them.

As someone who has spent more than two decades helping high school students navigate how to write personal essays for their college applications, I regularly advise them to answer prompts fully, stick to the word limit and don’t lie. 

Given those starting points, it may surprise some people to learn that I encourage students to use artificial intelligence as a tool to help generate content for their college application essays. 

On the Common App used by more than 1,100 colleges and universities to simplify the application process, students must certify that “all information submitted in the admission process — including this application and other supporting materials — is my own work.”

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Many colleges, including Brown University, do not permit the use of AI by an applicant under any circumstances in conjunction with application content. While applicants may use AI to assist with spelling and grammar review and basic proofreading, the content of all essays submitted by an applicant must be the work of that individual.

On the face of it, I endorse this policy. In fact, just two years ago, I was........

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