Your recommender
used AI. Now what?
It's probably fine. Here's how to tell, and the 20‑minute fix if it isn't in yet.
Updated September 15, 2026
You're in. One email, promise.
Generic is the only thing that hurts.
Adcoms can tell. They read thousands of these, and they know most recommenders use AI now. What they hold against you is a letter that says nothing only your recommender could know.
On the rules, you're clear at five of the seven. HBS asks your recommender on the form, and the honest answer is a yes. At Stanford and Columbia it's your recommender's judgment call. Every school's language, quoted.
Is the letter actually bad?
Only answerable if you've seen it. If you haven't, skip ahead.
Doesn't matter
- Em dashes.
- Tidy paragraphs, one per quality.
- "It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend."
- Sounds more polished than their emails.
Matters
- No project you could name.
- No number.
- No moment they were actually in the room for.
- Nothing on where you rank, which five of the M7 ask.
One question: could anyone with your job title have gotten this letter?
What to do now
Already submitted?
Let it go. Don't ask them to pull it. Don't email the school. Save the energy for the schools that aren't in yet.
Not in yet?
Don't ask them to stop using AI. Ask for 20 minutes on the phone instead. Two stories: a project with a number, and a moment they watched you handle something hard. Then let them put those in however they want.
Hey [Name], thank you for doing this, seriously. Quick ask before [School]'s deadline: could we grab 20 min this week? Two things I'd love in there, [the project] and [the moment], and I want to give you the real numbers so you're not reconstructing them. Totally fine if it's a no.
Next time, skip the panic.
GetLOR is the AI built for LORs, and it's free for Round 2. How it works.
Questions
Can adcoms tell if my recommender used AI?
Usually, yes. They read thousands of these. What they care about is whether the letter says anything specific about you.
Do I have to tell the school?
No school asks you about your recommender's letter. HBS asks the recommender, on their own form.
What if I only suspect it and never saw the letter?
Then you don't know whether it's generic, and that's the part that matters. Do the 20 minutes anyway for every school that isn't in yet.
Should I tell my recommender I noticed?
No need. Ask for the call and the two stories. They'll get the point without the awkward conversation.
Applying in Round 2?
Your recommender talks for 20 minutes. Every school's LOR, in their words. Free for Round 2.