Virginia Tech swaps human readers with AI for college admissions amid 10% surge

Virginia Tech has begun using artificial intelligence to help evaluate admissions applications for the fall 2026 cycle, replacing one of the two human readers in its review process. The change comes after the university experienced a 10.2% surge in applications from fall 2024 to fall 2025, prompting administrators to seek ways to accelerate decision-making while maintaining evaluation quality.

What you should know: The AI system now handles essay reviews that were previously conducted entirely by human admissions officers.

• Previously, two human readers evaluated applications on a 12-point scale, requiring a third reviewer only if scores differed by four points or more.
• Now, one human reviewer and the AI system evaluate applications together, with a more stringent two-point threshold triggering additional human review.
• The AI reviewer operates using internal university resources and has been developed through three years of research by admissions staff and College of Engineering faculty.

Why this matters: Virginia Tech’s implementation represents a significant shift toward AI-assisted admissions at major universities, addressing growing application volumes while attempting to maintain fairness and consistency.

• “From four to two means we’re actually going to be more stringent on making sure the essay is addressing things that we’re seeking it to address,” said Mark Owczarski, Virginia Tech spokesperson.
• The university aims to provide families and students with “feedback in a timely manner” while handling the increasing application load.

How it works: The AI system focuses specifically on personal essay evaluation, working alongside human reviewers to assess applications.

• One human reviewer and the AI system each evaluate essays, with discrepancies of two points or more triggering a second human reader.
• The admissions team continuously monitors AI performance trends and makes ongoing process improvements throughout the application cycle.
• Human judgment remains central to the process, with researchers checking for consistency and fairness.

What they’re saying: University officials emphasize their commitment to maintaining evaluation quality despite the technological integration.

• “Artificial intelligence helps us to read our growing number of essays quicker, with more accuracy and consistency, so that families and students can receive the feedback in a timely manner,” Owczarski explained.
• “It’s the responsibility of the office of admissions to ensure that the process of applying is handled well and handled fairly,” he added.

Key timeline: The fall 2026 application cycle opened August 1, with early action applications due November 1, giving the university a full admissions season to evaluate the AI system’s performance in real-world conditions.