UNC-Chapel Hill Ends AI Essay Grading Tool

The university will stop using AI to score application essays after the tool failed to provide meaningful applicant distinctions.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in College Applications

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a stack of application folders with a red pen, representing a return to human essay review. — UNC-Chapel Hill has discontinued its use of AI-driven essay grading tools after findings showed the automated scoring provided no meaningful applicant differentiation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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UNC-Chapel Hill has officially discontinued its use of AI tools to evaluate the grammar and writing quality of undergraduate admissions essays. The university implemented the software in 2025 but halted its use after determining the scores were no longer useful.

Why it matters

The decision comes as AI-generated scores consistently skewed higher, making it difficult for admissions officers to differentiate between applicants. Because many students are now using AI to assist with their own writing, the automated grading system failed to provide the necessary insight for the decision-making process.

UNC-Chapel Hill introduced Slate's Reader AI to its admissions review process in 2025 to rate grammar and writing quality. The university ended the use of the tool in October 2026 after the system failed to provide meaningful distinctions.

The players

UNC-Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a major public research university that serves as the flagship campus of the University of North Carolina system.

Slate's Reader AI

This is a specialized software tool designed for admissions departments to help manage, read, and evaluate incoming student application materials.

The details

Reviewers had used Slate's Reader AI to assign specific scores to each application essay submitted by prospective students. The institution opted to remove the technology once the output became too inflated to serve as a reliable indicator of student capability.

2025: UNC-Chapel Hill began using AI in its admissions review process.
October 2026: University officials announced the discontinuation of the AI tool.

Culture Shift

This move highlights the broader tension caused by the rise of student reliance on AI tools for college application essays. It reflects a growing societal shift where institutions are forced to pivot as traditional assessment metrics are bypassed by automated writing software.

Prospective students applying to UNC-Chapel Hill should be aware that their essays will no longer be graded by the Reader AI tool. Applicants can focus on writing essays that showcase their authentic voice, as the university moves away from AI-driven automated grammar scoring.

The takeaway

The end of this AI program serves as a reminder that automated tools can quickly lose their utility in high-stakes environments as technology evolves. Applicants should focus on developing their own writing skills rather than relying on tools that may ultimately be disregarded by reviewers.