AI is already transforming how students choose schools and how admissions teams operate. In our recent webinar on AI in Admissions, an expert panel from LeadSquared, CECU, and Enrollment Resources shared practical ways schools can adopt AI while maintaining a human touch.
We compiled everything you need to know from this webinar for you to digest in less than 5 minutes.
Why AI in Admissions Matters Now
Admissions teams face pressure to scale outreach with fewer resources. AI offers tools to make that possible without sacrificing personalization.
Samantha Cormaster from CECU explained how schools are already using AI to train new admissions reps:
“I’ve seen teams use tools like Scribe to build out processes and training so they don’t have to constantly recreate them. It’s really handy when you’re bringing on new reps and don’t want to miss anything.”
Sterling Simpson from Enrollment Resources added that AI isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about personalization:
Personalized Outreach with AI
Takeaway 1: Use AI to Understand Student Motivations
Behind every inquiry is a student with unique goals and barriers. AI can uncover those insights at scale.
Admissions chatbots, for example, are getting smarter at capturing real student questions, often things they’d hesitate to ask a rep directly.
Sterling, however, emphasized the need for transparency:
Tip for Using AI Chatbots in Admissions
Takeaway 2: Balance Automation with the Human Touch
While AI can handle routine communications, some conversations must remain human.
Samantha noted:
“When it comes to ethical conversations, family support, financial aid, that’s something AI can really miss the bucket on. It’s easier to be human on human for those moments.”
Sterling agreed:
“AI just doesn’t have that empathy yet. It may get there, but right now, you still need humans for those deeper, emotional conversations.”
Takeaway 3: Track the Right Data and Act on It
AI shines when applied to admissions data. Sterling explained how schools can benchmark their funnels and focus on the weakest stages:
“If you know your admissions funnel and compare against best practices, you’ll see where you deviate the most. That’s your low-hanging fruit for improvement.”
This means AI isn’t just helping teams work faster, it’s making their strategies smarter.
AI In Your Admissions Funnel
Takeaway 4: Start Small and Build
The best way to get started with AI? Just start.
“Open ChatGPT, have it rewrite one of your emails, or help you shorten a message. The more you play, the better you’ll get at prompts, and the better the output will be.” -Samantha
Sterling suggested simple pilot projects like testing email rewrites with AI and measuring results:
“Rewrite a few of your automated emails. Track the performance. Split test. You’ll learn what improves your performance, then build from there.”
Using ChatGPT To Its Full Potential
Bonus Takeaway: Don’t Forget AI Search Engines
SEO isn’t just about Google anymore. Students are asking ChatGPT and other AI engines what schools to apply at. That means your online content needs to be optimized for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) too.
Sterling Simpson put it this way:
“AI is becoming a big search engine now… We’ve actually found a lot of success going back to the old-school strategy of article submissions. That used to be devalued by Google, but now it’s becoming valuable for AI.”
Ranking Content for AI Engines
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Admissions
Both panellists agreed: the next five years will be unpredictable, but exciting.
The big takeaway? AI in admissions isn’t about replacing people, it’s about giving schools the tools to scale while keeping the human connection that matters most.
Here’s how to get started with AI today:
- Use AI to understand student motivations.
- Automate repetitive tasks but keep humans for empathy-driven conversations.
- Track data and act on insights.
- Start small, experiment, and build.
- Bonus: Develop a content strategy around Generative Engine Optimization.
Ready to See AI in Action?
Schools are already using AI to grow enrollment smarter. You can too.
Book a demo of Virtual Adviser 6 today and see firsthand how AI can support your admissions goals.
Dr. Miguel A. Cardenas Jr., from San Diego Global Knowledge University has been using the Virtual Adviser AI Studio and noted,
“We’re blown away by the quality of content produced by the article generator. It’s engaging, relevant, and valuable to prospective students, staff, faculty, and even our broader community. An incredible tool to have in our marketing toolkit.”