AI in College Admissions: What It Means for Your Teen’s Testing Strategy

TL;DR (Read time: ~6 minutes)

AI now sits quietly behind many parts of the college admissions process. Students use it to brainstorm essays and study; colleges use it to screen applications, detect plagiarism, and communicate with applicants at scale. But AI hasn’t replaced authentic work, strong fundamentals, or the strategic value of standardized tests like the ACT, SAT, and CLT. Understanding how specific tools are actually used can help you support your teen with clarity instead of worry.

A New Kind of College Conversation

College talk at home has changed.

Instead of only hearing questions about majors or campus size, you may now hear your teen say things like, “I asked AI to help with my essay,” or “I used a chatbot to explain that math question.” Articles cross your feed about test-optional policies, digital exams, and colleges using AI to review applications. Somewhere in that swirl, you may find yourself wondering whether the rules of admissions changed while you weren’t looking.

That feeling is common—and reasonable. AI arrived in the middle of an already shifting landscape. But the best antidote to that unease is not panic; it’s a clearer picture of what’s actually happening.

AI’s role is expanding, but not in a way that removes humans from admissions decisions. Instead, AI operates behind the scenes, supporting both students and institutions.

AI Tools Colleges Are Actually Using

Application triage and first-pass review.

Some admissions offices use AI-enhanced platforms like Element451, which can pre-score applications using rubrics, summarize essays, and flag missing items. These tools help staff manage volume—not make decisions.

Writing evaluation.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has shared publicly that it uses AI to help conduct an initial grammar and clarity review on essays, while emphasizing that humans make the final judgments.

Fraud and plagiarism detection.

Tools such as Turnitin’s AI writing detection systems are widely used in both high schools and universities. They help institutions verify authenticity, especially as AI-generated writing becomes common.

Student communication.

Georgia State University’s AI chatbot, Pounce, has reduced “summer melt” by sending personalized reminders and answering thousands of routine questions. Studies show it increases enrollment follow-through—one of the first academic validations of AI in student support.

Verification of identity and records.

International examples, such as West Bengal’s education department in India, have implemented AI to detect fraudulent entries in centralized systems, a trend increasingly mirrored in U.S. systems.

How Students Use AI Right Now

Students, on the other hand, use AI tools like chatbots, Esai, Studyhall, or ChatGPT to brainstorm essay ideas, draft outlines, review SAT math concepts, or create study schedules. In other words: they don’t see AI as a disruption—they see it as a companion.

Myths, Realities, and What Still Matters for Your Teen

Myth: AI will replace standardized tests.

Reality: Strong ACT, SAT, and CLT scores remain one of the few unambiguously authentic datapoints colleges can rely on. As essays become easier to “polish” with AI, test scores have arguably become more valuable, especially for merit scholarships and selective programs.

Myth: AI can write essays safely.

Reality: Essay-detection tools are now widely used. Admissions officers are also increasingly attuned to the generic tone of AI writing. A student’s authentic voice remains the foundation of a competitive application.

Myth: Tech-savvy students can DIY the process.

Reality: AI can supply information, but it cannot contextualize decisions—like when to test, which test to take, or how scores affect scholarships at specific colleges.

Where Standardized Tests Still Fit

In a sense, standardized tests have become more old-fashioned than ever: a student sits down at a specific time, with specific rules, to solve problems on their own. Even as formats go digital, the conditions remain tightly controlled. That makes scores one of the few parts of the application that AI cannot quietly reshape.

For your teen, this has several implications.

First, a strong score can still reinforce academic readiness in a way that feels trustworthy to admissions officers sifting through AI-polished essays and activity lists. A good score is not just a number—it’s evidence that, under timed conditions, your teen demonstrated certain skills without external help.

Second, test scores can meaningfully affect scholarships and access. Many institutions publish score ranges tied to merit aid, and even at schools that call themselves test-optional, students with strong scores often have a clearer path to certain awards or honors opportunities.

Third, a thoughtful testing plan can give your teen more flexibility later. For some students, that might mean aiming for an early junior-year test date, leaving time to retest if needed. For others, it might mean choosing between ACT, SAT, and CLT based on which aligns best with their strengths.

AI can support this process—offering explanations for missed questions, generating additional practice, even helping create a study calendar. But AI will not notice when your teen’s practice-test scores flatten out, or when their stress level suggests it’s time for a different approach. Those are human judgments, made in conversation with someone who knows the student, not just their data.

Using AI Wisely, Without Losing the Human Core

Given the mix of opportunity and uncertainty, many parents ask a simple question: What is a healthy way for my teen to use AI?

Looking across current research and campus examples, a pattern emerges. AI works best in admissions when it augments human effort rather than replacing it. Georgia State’s Pounce chatbot answers routine questions and sends reminders, but it doesn’t decide who is admitted; it frees staff to spend more time helping students one-on-one.  AI agents in platforms like Element451 pre-score applications against rubrics, but human committees still hold the authority to admit, deny, or waitlist.

The same principle can guide families. AI can help your teen generate ideas, clarify confusing topics, and organize their workload. It can serve as a kind of digital whiteboard or second brain. But it should not be the author of their story, the architect of their strategy, or the only voice they consult.

One practical way to frame this at home is to distinguish between process and product. It is generally appropriate for AI to support the process—brainstorming, outlining, reviewing concepts. The product—the final essay, the decisions about where and when to test, the way your teen presents their experiences—should still be recognizably theirs.

Clayborne’s Perspective: Human-Centered Test Prep in an AI World

So where does a company like Clayborne fit into this evolving picture?

At Clayborne, we spend our days in the overlap between students, tests, and changing policies. Because we specialize in one-on-one ACT, SAT, and CLT preparation, we see firsthand how AI tools are actually appearing in students’ lives—not in theory, but in the late-night questions, the draft essays, the practice tests that show patterns a chatbot would never catch.

We utilize AI softwares and tools to complement a keen tutors eye, streamlining the identification process for areas where students need more practice. Yet the most important work our tutors do remains in conversation—helping a student understand why they keep missing a certain type of question, deciding whether to register for one more test date, or simply reassuring a nervous junior that they are more prepared than they feel.

For parents, that means you don’t have to follow every AI headline to make wise decisions. You have a partner whose job is to track those shifts and translate them into practical guidance for your family. For your teen, it means that amid all the algorithms, there is still a real human being who understands that progress is rarely linear and that confidence matters as much as content.

If you’d like a clear, personalized testing plan grounded in both research and real-world student experience, we’re here to help. Fill out our intake form and we’ll get you connected with one of the experts for a free consultation.