AI Use Skyrockets Among Incoming Princeton Students

As artificial intelligence tools become a standard part of the academic toolkit for incoming university students, Princeton’s admissions office is reinforcing a timeless message: authenticity matters. While the incoming Class of 2029 reports unprecedented levels of AI engagement, even on admissions essays, the university stands firm that application materials must be a genuine reflection of a student's own capabilities, not the output of a language model.

Data from Princeton's annual Frosh Survey, tracked from the Class of 2027 to the Class of 2029, reveals a significant shift in AI adoption since OpenAI first released ChatGPT in late 2022.

A Three-Year Surge in AI Adoption

The most telling statistic is the dramatic decline in students arriving on campus with no prior AI experience. For the Class of 2027, a full 66 percent had not used models like ChatGPT. Just two years later, for the Class of 2029, that number has plummeted to only 12 percent.

This trend is fueled by the rapid advancement of the technology itself. While the Class of 2027 had access to the initial ChatGPT-3.5, recent high school graduates have utilized far more powerful models like GPT-4o and the newer o3, which boasts state-of-the-art performance on complex benchmarks.

How Students Are Using AI

Student use of AI has grown across the board, but some areas show remarkable acceleration. While adoption for writing assistance, coding, and administrative tasks has seen linear growth, its use in STEM and problem-solving has surged. For the Class of 2029, AI assistance in STEM coursework is now nearly as common as its use for reading and writing.

Recreational use has also exploded. In just one year, the percentage of students using AI for fun jumped from 53 percent for the Class of 2028 to 70 percent for the Class of 2029. This coincides with a notable decrease in the use of traditional writing tools like Grammarly, suggesting students are consolidating their toolsets around more powerful, versatile AI models.

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Student Sentiment Remains Mixed

Despite the rapid adoption, student opinion on AI's societal impact has remained surprisingly stable. About 20 percent of first-years view AI as revolutionary, while nearly half see it as a tool that is useful only in specific cases.

Unsurprisingly, sentiment is closely tied to usage. Students who don't use AI at all are the most skeptical, with over half labeling its rise as dangerous. Conversely, those who use AI for coding are the most optimistic, with over a third considering it revolutionary.

The Universitys Stance Authenticity First

In response to these trends, the university maintains a clear position. University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill emphasized that application materials must be the student's authentic work, stating that AI-generated writing is "generally not going to be stronger" than what applicants can produce themselves.

"Because Princeton has a writing-heavy curriculum, applicants do not set themselves up for success if they rely on AI in the application process," Morrill noted. "We expect applicants to be truthful and authentic when they sign off on their application, which confirms that the information and essays they have provided are their own work."

The Future of AI on Campus

As more students arrive at Princeton with a deep-seated reliance on AI for schoolwork and daily tasks, the campus is set to evolve. With AI policy largely delegated to individual professors, many are already adapting by either integrating AI into their curriculum or redesigning assessments to mitigate its use. Regardless of the approach, one thing is certain: AI is a permanent fixture in academic life and has already reshaped how a new generation of students learns and works.