Behind the Algorithm: How AI is Reshaping College Admissions and Enrollment Operations

Artificial intelligence is no longer on the horizon of higher education admissions—it's already inside the process. Institutions are deploying AI across the enrollment funnel: identifying prospective students, personalizing outreach, streamlining application review, modeling yield, and optimizing financial aid packaging. Most of this is happening faster than the governance, infrastructure, and staff capacity needed to support it responsibly. This session goes beyond the broad landscape to examine two institutions leading the way. Through case studies from Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, presenters will explore how each institution implemented AI tools into their application reading process—decisions made, challenges encountered, and outcomes observed. Together, these examples surface practical lessons for enrollment and IT leaders who are considering similar approaches. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of what responsible AI implementation looks like in admissions operations, a framework for evaluating AI tools in enrollment contexts, and actionable takeaways they can bring back to their institutions.