From ChatGPT to Meta AI and Google’s Gemini, artificial intelligence programs have quickly become part of our everyday lives. While some people remain critical of this fast-evolving technology, it’s no secret that it can make our lives and work easier and more efficient, including in schools.
In early 2024, we set out to learn how school leaders and major departments are approaching and understanding the use of AI in their school communities. Over 700 faculty and staff members at private and independent K-12 schools took part in our survey, sharing their experiences to help us learn more about AI usage in schools and the untapped opportunities in classrooms, school offices, and boardrooms.
For many, the challenge is to rethink what we consider to be AI and how to use it to streamline our everyday operations. For the admission office specifically, AI may seem like the antithesis of what is usually a very people-centric office. But AI doesn’t mean you have to lose that personal, human touch that makes families choose your school in the first place — it can actually make it easier to connect!
Here’s what we learned about how this new technology can increase efficiency in admission departments and how AI can ultimately help increase school applications.
Who is Using AI and How?
While AI might feel brand new, 65% of respondents who work in school admissions reported that they’ve already incorporated this technology into their work in some capacity.
Admissions personnel at smaller schools with less than 500 students are even more likely to use AI, with 75% reporting use. For those who work at larger schools, just under 60% said they use AI.
In addition to admission duties, many of these teams are responsible for juggling a wide variety of tasks, such as administration, communication, marketing, data entry, and finance responsibilities. As a result, they are primarily using generative AI to help automate tasks like promoting events, writing decision and welcome letters, and communicating with families.
Why Should You Consider Adopting AI Use in Schools?
From tediously filling out Excel sheets to finding the latest guardian contact info for a current student, many small tasks can eat up your day in addition to your daily admission duties. AI can help speed up or complete these tasks altogether — if you know how to use it properly. See what gaps AI can fill in your school’s admission office and how it can help increase productivity.
Save Time
If you’re wondering what the advantage of using AI is, just consider what you could do with an extra 12 hours each week. You could finally keep up with emails, reach out directly to prospective families, and host that welcome event you never had time for.
That’s how much time admission professionals save by using AI — up to 30% of their work week. This works out to an extra day and a half each week, which you could spend focusing on identifying gaps in your enrollment funnels and improving future outreach strategies.
Connect With Prospective Families
But saving time isn’t the only benefit of incorporating AI into school admissions. Of those who have adopted AI for marketing purposes, 32% say they’ve noticed a positive correlation between using AI in schools and application numbers.
Wondering exactly how AI can help increase school applications? Almost half of these respondents work at boarding schools, where AI is helping them find mission-fit students through targeted segmentation and personalized communication. Not all prospective students are the same. Some might be interested in your school’s sports and extracurricular programs, whereas others might focus solely on taking classes that will set them up for success in college.
One survey respondent said that their school has started using AI to personalize marketing material to target these specific student groups. “We have seen an increase in the number of inquiries and applications, particularly from students who are interested in our unique programs and offerings,” they shared with us.
Data Segmentation
Targeted segmentation is another way schools can incorporate AI to personalize marketing. Those we heard from are excited about this strategy, which involves sorting data into different audience groups based on characteristics and behavior. Admission teams can then use this data to create content like blog posts or videos, which AI can tailor to its respective audience.
The possibilities are virtually endless, and a quarter of those (26%) who completed our survey agreed that they’ve already seen an impact on application numbers since adopting AI in their admission offices.
Another survey respondent explained, “AI can automate many of the administrative tasks associated with admissions management such as managing application statuses, sending automated emails to applicants, and tracking candidate interactions. By automating these tasks, AI can improve operational efficiency and reduce the potential for human error.”
Essentially, AI allows these teams to supercharge their admission processes, making it faster, simpler, and more aggressive!
The Future of AI in Education Offices
Lack of knowledge as well as privacy and security concerns were cited as the top reasons that 35% of respondents have not yet adopted AI in school offices.
However, admission professionals overall said they are excited to continue exploring AI and about the doors it could open for enrollment marketing. Some possibilities include using AI to help predict future enrollment figures based on historical data, create personalized enrollment programs based on students’ interests and characteristics, and improve recruiting tools such as virtual tours and open houses.
For most admission offices, it comes down to getting comfortable and used to utilizing AI in the office. AI can be used safely and effectively in schools, especially when it comes to protecting your school’s sensitive information. To learn more about how to utilize AI in schools effectively, download our full AI research study.
