{"id":42657,"date":"2026-08-11T08:59:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T12:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/?p=42657"},"modified":"2026-08-11T09:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:01:27","slug":"ai-in-mba-admissions-podcast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/ai-in-mba-admissions-podcast\/","title":{"rendered":"The mbaMission Podcast: AI in MBA Admissions: Your Unique Voice Beats Polished Sameness | Ep. 115"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mbaMission Podcast<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Managing Director Gavriella Semaya tackle the topic of candidates using AI when preparing their MBA applications. Although they both see value in applying the tool for grammar checks, light research, and brainstorming, the trouble starts when applicants let AI do more than support the writing process. When the technology begins shaping a candidate\u2019s ideas or tone too significantly, the result is a loss of authenticity and singularity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"video-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AI in MBA Admissions: Your Unique Voice Beats Polished Sameness | Ep 115\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8ZCIDf43yUs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/4wRnPUcMYD7glvc72v1JPM?si=e31e132f163647c6\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-41852\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button.jpg 563w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-mbamission-podcast\/id1748825410?i=1000782666856\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-41854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"apple podcasts button\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/ai-in-mba-admissions-podcast\/#a_polished_essay_is_not_the_same_as_a_unique_essay\" >A Polished Essay Is Not the Same as a Unique Essay<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/ai-in-mba-admissions-podcast\/#schools_want_a_high_level_of_authenticity\" >Schools Want a High Level of Authenticity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"a_polished_essay_is_not_the_same_as_a_unique_essay\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Polished Essay Is Not the Same as a Unique Essay<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harold notes that AI can help many applicants reach a baseline with their essays, but that baseline is not enough to stand out in this highly selective process. Strong applications need credibility, specificity, and a \u201cwhy\u201d that feels personal. You want the admissions reader to come away from your submission knowing why you made certain choices, what motivates you, and how you see the world. This kind of depth and honesty is beyond the capabilities of AI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gavriella adds that AI tends to default to the most common response to a question or prompt, not to the most individual one. As a result, essays from applicants with wildly different lives can end up sounding flat and using the same robotic voice. Including specific details and personal reasoning is what makes a candidate\u2019s application memorable.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"schools_want_a_high_level_of_authenticity\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schools Want a High Level of Authenticity<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harold and Gavriella also discuss how business schools are integrating AI use into their applications. Some programs ask candidates to disclose whether and how they used AI, and a number of programs have introduced or increased the number of spontaneous video responses that applicants must submit. Business schools want to understand how you think, communicate, and respond in real time. A heavily engineered written answer can hide that, but a live, extemporaneous response usually cannot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trend toward live video components should not scare applicants but instead remind them what the application process is meant to reveal. MBA admissions committees want to see evidence of judgment and self-awareness, and a point of view that is consistent across a candidate\u2019s essays, recommendations, and spoken communications.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New episodes of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mbaMission Podcast<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are released every Tuesday on all major streaming platforms, with full video episodes available on mbaMission\u2019s YouTube channel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are curious about how your story, experiences, and goals align with what top business schools are looking for, sign up for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/consult\/\">free 30-minute consultation<\/a> with Harold, Gavriella, or another member of mbaMission\u2019s admissions team.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a result, essays from applicants with wildly different lives can end up sounding flat and using the same robotic voice. Including specific details and personal reasoning is what makes a candidate\u2019s application memorable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":42660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[118,119,643],"tags":[679,614],"class_list":["post-42657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-application-tips","category-essays","category-mbamission-podcast","tag-ai-in-mba-applications","tag-mba-essay-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>AI in MBA Admissions | mbaMission Podcast Ep 115<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Harold Simansky and Gavriella Semaya explain how applicants can use AI in MBA essays without sounding generic or losing authenticity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/ai-in-mba-admissions-podcast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI in MBA Admissions | mbaMission Podcast Ep 115\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Harold Simansky and Gavriella Semaya explain how applicants can use AI in MBA essays without sounding generic or losing authenticity.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/ai-in-mba-admissions-podcast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"mbaMission - 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