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A Resource for IECs and School Counselors on
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
in College Admissions
Beyond the Bot Buzz: AI's Ascent in College Admissions In 2024
In 2024, many believe AI will transform college admissions in tasks like applicant screening, list development and test prep. A September 2023 survey found that 50% of admission offices now use AI, with 80% projected to adopt AI tools this year. While students broadly utilize AI in certain homework situations, just 10% indicated they would use these tools directly for their college application essays, according to a December 2023 survey by the ACT. While only 13% of counselors surveyed by College MatchPoint in December 2023 noticed AI-generated content in student essays and applications in the most recent application season, 69% anticipate extensive future usage by colleges for screening and evaluation.
As the use of AI tool advances in 2024, higher education faces a critical juncture in directing its use, with most expecting substantial but uneven integration rather than the outright automation of the application process. There are growing concerns that expanding the role of AI in college admissions could negatively impact transparency in decision-making, widen existing inequities if implemented without proper safeguards, and hinder the nurturing of critical skills in students if they come to rely on it too much. Though AI presents opportunities to expand efficiency, experts underscore that the enduring values of wisdom and empathy will remain vital, as students navigate an increasingly complex life transition that will require compassionate support more than ever.
College MatchPoint Survey: Counselors Expect Surge in
College AI Usage in 2024
While only 13% of college counselors who responded to the survey noticed AI-generated content in recent student applications, 69% expect colleges to use AI tools for screening applicants in 2024, raising concerns about equity gaps and transparency in admissions decisions. Amidst rapid acceleration of AI, 65% of counselors plan to adjust their advising approach to prepare students, and 97% want more training on utilizing AI's capabilities. Counselors urge explicit AI ethics policies, equitable access guardrails, and transparency for students and colleges to guide responsible AI adoption in college admissions.
The survey from College MatchPoint was conducted in December 2023. The responses analyzed are from a total of 296 college counselors, including educational consultants and school counselors.
January 4 Webinar
2024 Vision A Strategic Plan for College Counseling in the Age of AI
This webinar captures a discussion regarding the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the college admissions process. Our panel included Bob Carlton (College MatchPoint), Michele Evard, Ph.D. (Evard Educational Consulting), Jed Applerouth, Ph.D. (Applerouth Tutoring Services), Sydney Montgomery, Esq. (Barrier Breakers), and Dhruva Bhat, Ph.D. (Lumiere Education). Click here to access the presentation slides, and click here to access the verbatim transcript.
Webinar participants reviewed how they currently utilize AI to enhance their work with students, with a mix of interest in the promise of AI's capabilities and caution about its potential impact. The conversation also examined important considerations of equitable access, ethical use, and the evolving role of AI in college admissions practices. The webinar included insights for counselors aiming to experiment in ways to potentially leverage AI in serving students while promoting transparent standards by colleges and students surrounding the use of emerging AI technologies.
Group Brainstorming
The webinar included brainstorming by college counselors, utilizing this padlet. The group discussed several practical applications of AI that could help streamline and enhance their work with students and their businesses. Many planned to use AI tools to summarize client meetings, allowing them to capture key details more efficiently. Others wanted to experiment with AI's generative abilities to draft initial versions of documents like blog posts, newsletters, and template emails which they could then refine further. There was also interest in augmenting their own work with AI's analytical capabilities in research tasks – for example, having an algorithm scour databases to assemble customized lists of college prospects that match highly targeted criteria.
However, the group also acknowledged some ethical dilemmas posed by AI. Several aimed to better advise students on the issues around ethics, integrity, and accessibility on using these technologies . Some worried about the impact of students leaning too heavily on AI could on the student's personal development and on their college planning and college application work. The group identified ways to continue increasing their general fluency with AI tools by testing use cases so they can discern where AI tools might add value to their work with students and families, as well as their small businesses.
Resources To Support College Counselors
Learn about what an effective
prompt means
This cheat sheet is a starting point to more effectively craft prompts to guide AI tools. It includes resources for understanding prompt engineering, sample prompts to test AI capabilities, and prompts to explore student advising and business applications,. Improving on AI prompts may assistant college counselors who are committed to responsibly expand college access and equity through considerate integration of emerging technologies alongside human judgment and care.
It's hard to know where to start
researching new AI tools
This list of 20 AI tools can be a helpful starting point for college counselors eager to understand what is possible in terms of AI apps that might help boost creativity, productivity, and collaboration. The tools listed range across areas like graphic design, writing, scheduling, audio and video editing. The document also provides a 5 step checklist for evaluating AI tools in terms of how well they solve problems, their capabilities, accuracy, ethics, and costs.
Get beyond the hype about bots writing
essays to focus on ethical AI use
While AI tools like ChatGPT are often associated with essay writing, this white paper from Lumiere Education explores ethical applications in the college process - from strategic planning to budgeting and interview prep.
Through analysis of top college policies and interviews, it finds most institutions welcome AI support if students' unique voices and experiences remain central. It offers 6 concrete recommendations for how counselors can guide students to incorporate AI as a collaborative tool for a more informed, personalized application experience.
Perspectives on How AI Will Impact Our Work With Students in 2024
A broad spectrum of voices across education weigh in on AI, including college presidents, admission leaders, and psychologists. By considering this diversity of views, counselors can thoughtfully adopt AI to expand college opportunities, while preserving space for human guidance, relationships and discernment in 2024 and beyond.
Click to view the videos from these voices:
Adam Weinberg, Denison University - A College President's Perspective
Ashley Pallie & Rick Clark - Admission Deans' Perspective
Heath Einstein - Admission Dean Perspective
Dr. Mike Brooks - A Teen Psychologist's Perspective
Lilach Mollick - An Instructional Designer's Perspective
Sydney Montgomery - ChatGPT Essay Prompt Engineering
Brad Schiller - An Essay Coach Perspective
Dhruva Bhat - Ethical Considerations for IECs in Using ChatGPT
Sydney Montgomery - Equity & Access Considerations for IECs
AI Tools For Business Use In Educational Consulting Practices
This webinar highlighted the opportunities & challenges of AI in the the "business" of educational consulting. We emphasized the necessity of using AI ethically and complementarily to human expertise. It highlighted the opportunity for educational counselors to enhance their services through AI, aiming for greater efficiency and effectiveness. This exploration invites further examination of AI's potential to advance educational counseling practices. Download the slides or a resource list.
WORKING TOGETHER
WAYS TO ENGAGE, ADVOCATE, AND INNOVATE IN 2024
01
SEEK TRAINING
Attend AI workshops and webinars, take online courses, read expert blogs to become fluent in how AI is and will be used in admissions.
02
YOUR COMMUNITY
Talk to educators, parents, and students about their experiences with and concerns about AI to broaden perspectives.
03
DISCUSS WITH SCHOOLS
Find time to chat with admissions leaders about how their school is utilizing AI in the admissions process and advocate for ethical standards.
04
EXPERIMENT WITH TOOLS
Explore ways to appropriately incorporate AI tools into your own counseling practice to enhance efficiency and better serve students.
AI Literacy In Educational Consulting Practices
This webinar highlighted why AI literacy is crucial because it equips them with the necessary skills to navigate and utilize rapidly advancing AI technologies. As AI continues to reshape how students learn and how admission decisions are made, IECs must stay informed to effectively guide students and maintain relevance in their professional roles. Understanding AI helps IECs evaluate the ethical implications and biases of AI tools, ensuring that they can advocate for equitable and conscientious applications of technology in education.
SummerMatch.me: College counselors are experimenting with AI tools
As AI platforms become more widley available, college counselors have begun to develop tools to support students and families. One of those tools is SummerMatch.me, a free web app from the team at College MatchPoint. This AI-powered summer planning platform is built specifically for high school students. It utilizes AI to go beyond simple search and recommend programs tailored to each student's interests. Email us at team@summermatch.me if you have any suggestions to improve the app or any questions.
December 2023 ACT Survey Indicates That Approximately Half of High School Students Use AI Tools
Survey highlights include:
- 46% of students surveyed reported that they had used AI tools. Of those who reported using AI tools, more than half reported using them for school assignments.
- 62% of students said that teachers did not allow use of AI for schoolwork.
- Only 10% of students said they considered using AI to write their college admissions essay.
The report is based on the responses to an ACT survey from 4,006 students in grades 10 to 12.
"College MatchPoint helps steer and advise you from beginning to end of the college search and application process. They take what can be a very stressful time and break it down into smaller, manageable pieces. Bob, Lisa and their staff support their student clients, enabling them to find the best fit. You can trust that the process will work; it did for all 3 of my very different kids."
— Ellen Miura
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