It can be difficult to convey in words your drive and ambition for a particular graduate study with words, and not just because you may have to do it in a language which is not your native one. The application essay puts you in the position of describing your interests and objectives while sounding unique and aiming to grab the attention of admissions directors.

While you may be tempted to snatch a few written ideas from the Internet, now is the time to get rid of that thought. Admissions committees take plagiarism – copying other people’s work – very seriously. Copying entire paragraphs and ideas which are not yours will ultimately fail your graduate application, and so avoiding plagiarism should be a priority.

Why plagiarism fails your Masters application


The entire process of applying to graduate school can certainly be overwhelming. All prospective applicants eventually need to deal with time pressure, the expectations of their family and peers, and their surrounding culture. However, it is important not to take the short route of plagiarising even when it comes to small chunks of text, no matter how convenient that may seem at first. Whether through an automated tool that detects plagiarism or thanks to their trained eye, admissions directors of most international Masters programmes can easily tell if a particular essay is not original.

Also read: How to Prepare to Meet Graduate School Representatives

Plagiarism detection in admissions has become significantly more sophisticated in recent years. Kira Talent, the holistic admissions assessment platform, now offers SimCheck – a fully integrated plagiarism and AI-detection tool powered by Turnitin. It automatically cross-checks all written materials submitted through the platform against Turnitin’s database of over 91 billion web pages and sources, as well as other applicants’ submissions. Institutions such as the University of Toronto’s four-year Commerce degree (Canada) use it to screen thousands of applications per cycle.

The Penn State Smeal College of Business (US) was among the first to adopt plagiarism detection in admissions, having discovered a significant number of plagiarised essays as far back as 2009; since then, the school has found that between 4-9% of applications each year contain evidence of unoriginal work.

For universities, the solution is not too complex as nowadays there are digital tools that can be used to track whether application submissions feature any plagiarism. The important lesson here is for prospective applicants to understand why such actions are not in their best interest. The purpose of the application essay is to help you showcase your unique traits and to distinguish you from all other submissions. The only way to achieve this is by writing an original text which highlights why you chose this particular Masters programme and how the programme will eventually benefit from your academic talents and character.

“Other components of your application are mostly numbers (test scores, GPA, etc.) or out of your control (letters of recommendation). Your admissions essay is your one chance to set yourself apart from all other applicants with the same grades and the same test scores. You need to think very carefully about what information in your essay will make the committee take notice,” is further emphasised in a blog post at EssayEdge.

Also read: Getting a Masters Degree after a Bachelors in Another Field

The rise of AI-generated essays: a new form of plagiarism


Beyond copying from other sources, a growing concern for admissions offices is the use of AI writing tools such as ChatGPT to generate application essays. This is treated as a form of academic dishonesty equivalent to plagiarism, because the work is not authentically the applicant’s own.

A 2025 survey by Kaplan of over 200 college admissions officers found that 30% of institutions now have an official policy banning the use of generative AI in application essays. Leading universities have taken firm stances. The University of California (US) warns that applications found to have been generated by AI with unattributed sources could result in disqualification from admission entirely. Georgetown University (US) requires applicants to sign a statement confirming they have not used AI in any part of their application, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Even at institutions without a formal policy, admissions readers are attuned to the patterns of AI-generated writing. An essay that lacks a genuine personal voice or specific personal detail will stand out for the wrong reasons. Experienced readers have a strong intuition for what authentic applicant writing looks like. The safest and most effective approach is always to write your own essay, using AI tools at most for light grammar checks or brainstorming, never for drafting content.

Do not submit the same essay to different schools


While copying from other essays or articles is an absolute no-go, it is also important for prospective students to take the time to draft a different application essay for each of the programmes they are applying for. This is essential for your successful admission because different schools look for different traits and characteristics in applicants.

Some institutions may put emphasis on the diversity of their student cohorts, while others may be chiefly focused on particular specialisations they offer, such as STEM. In the first case, you may benefit from describing your international exposure or the unique background you have in terms of ethnicity, education, and so on. In the second example, however, admissions directors will probably be just as interested to read about your mathematical or technical skills and qualities.

“The committee wants to learn about the applicant beyond the standard details of application materials,” notes another blog post on the EssayEdge website.

Reusing substantial portions of an essay you submitted in a previous application cycle to the same or different institutions can even be considered self-plagiarism. While the risk of detection is lower than with copied third-party content, the more important point is that a recycled essay is unlikely to speak authentically to the specific programme you are now applying for.

Learning to distinguish plagiarism from acceptable use of sources


Although copying other people’s work is a serious offence in the academic world, there is no need to panic over every single sentence you write and wonder whether it will be classified as plagiarism. In many situations, it would be entirely acceptable to quote another author to illustrate some argument or to use data and statistics whenever relevant. As long as the source is clearly pointed out and the quoted part is not actually half of your essay, you should be in the safe zone.

Also read: GRE Subject Test vs. GRE General Test: How to Choose an Aptitude Test

Furthermore, it is actually a great idea to take inspiration from existing essay samples published online or provided by a friend. You can learn how to structure the text as clearly as possible, see examples of how to introduce yourself or how to conclude the essay, or even learn what to avoid. Prospective Masters applicants should review how others have responded to similar essay questions and try to implement best practices while still communicating a highly personalised message. In some cases, universities themselves reveal what their admissions team will expect to read in an essay and give pointers as to how applicants can increase their chances of admission.

Check your own essay before you submit


Before submitting, it is a good idea to run a self-check on your essay to ensure it reads as entirely your own work. Free and accessible tools such as Grammarly’s plagiarism checker can scan your text against billions of web pages and flag any unintentional overlaps with existing online content. Quetext and Scribbr also offer plagiarism detection services aimed at students.

While none of these tools replicates the depth of what institutional systems like Turnitin can do, they are useful for catching accidental similarities and ensuring your essay does not inadvertently mirror content you may have read during research.

At the end of the day, what matters is whether the person reading your essay understands your drive and ambition for choosing a particular field of study. Do your best to convince them of your passion and stay true to your personal story!

Originally published: 26 October 2018

Updated: 9 July 2026