Duke stops assigning numeric values to essays, test scores

This story is about the admissions process, not about academics.

Duke University is no longer assigning numerical ratings to applicants’ standardized test scores and essays, a university spokesperson confirmed in an email to Inside Higher Ed. The change was made earlier this year and has been in effect for the latest round of applications.

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Dean of undergraduate admissions Christoph Guttentag told The Chronicle, the university’s student newspaper, that the choice to stop assigning points to applicants’ essays is largely due to the rise of AI-generated writing among current high school and college students as well as concerns about ghostwritten essays from highly paid college consultants.

“Essays are very much part of our understanding of the applicant. We’re just no longer assuming that the essay is an accurate reflection of the student’s actual writing ability,” Guttentag said. —Inside Higher Ed