AI agents are intelligent, autonomous platforms that carry out tasks traditionally handled by staff. They analyze data, reason through scenarios, and act—without needing constant human instruction. In higher ed, this means agents can communicate with students, complete admissions tasks, guide applicants, and support enrollment or retention.

These agents are the next step beyond legacy chatbots and automations. They don’t follow scripts—they think, adapt, and work.

Bolt Agents, part of Element451’s AI agent platform for higher education, are built to act on institutional data, collaborate across departments, and accelerate key recruitment, admissions, and student-success processes.

How AI Agents Work

Autonomy and Decision-Making

AI agents operate autonomously, meaning they take initiative instead of waiting for a student or staff member to prompt them. An agent can:

• Identify who needs help
• Decide the best action
• Communicate in natural language
• Escalate when human review is needed
• Track progress toward a defined goal

Bolt Agents use real-time institutional data to understand context and act intelligently—one of the biggest differentiators between “agentic AI” and traditional automation.

Skills and Actions AI Agents Can Perform

AI agents are equipped with institution-approved “skills,” allowing them to:

• Read and interpret application data
• Send personalized messages
• Promote events or forms
• Guide students to complete tasks
• Schedule appointments
• Flag application concerns (fraud, missing documents)
• Provide always-on support across channels

Bolt Agent Jobs—configurable assignments that give agents specific goals—allow agents to take on entire projects, like increasing event registrations or driving application submissions.

Why Context Matters

The intelligence of an AI agent depends on the data it can use. Without unified, up-to-date student information, most AI tools can only suggest—not act. Element451’s platform solves this by giving agents access to institutional context (CRM, engagement data, tasks, forms, SIS/LMS integrations), enabling them to complete real work instead of simply responding.

AI Agents vs. Chatbots

Most higher ed “AI tools” still rely on chatbots—systems built to answer FAQs. AI agents go much further.

Chatbots

• Respond to questions
• Live on one channel
• Scripted
• Provide information
• Limited context

AI Agents

• Anticipate needs and take action
• Act across email, SMS, chat, and more
• Adaptive and autonomous
• Complete work (e.g., read apps, schedule, nudge)
• Use unified data for decision-making

Bolt Agents can understand, decide, and act—working alongside human teams instead of waiting for a student to ask something. They complete tasks end-to-end, which chatbots simply can’t do.

Example Admissions Workflows Powered by AI Agents

Below are real-world workflows AI agents handle today—no custom coding or complex automation paths required.

Guiding Prospects From Inquiry to Application

When a prospective student submits an RFI or attends an event, an AI agent can automatically:

1. Introduce the institution
2. Share relevant programs
3. Promote the application
4. Answer questions instantly
5. Nudge the student to begin their application

A “Start Application” Bolt Agent Job drops the student into a personalized, proactive sequence that adapts based on their behavior.

Reading and Scoring Applications Automatically

Admissions teams face staffing shortages and rising application volumes. Bolt Admissions Agents can:

• Read and score applications
• Flag missing documents or fraud risks
• Surface the most promising candidates
• Send follow-up messages
• Route cases for human review

In one example highlighted in Element451’s content, agents helped schools shrink overflowing application queues—reading, scoring, and detecting fraud in real time.

Supporting Admitted Students Through Enrollment

AI agents support yield and melt reduction by:

• Sending personalized checklist reminders
• Promoting orientation and yield events
• Scheduling advising sessions
• Guiding students through FAFSA or financial aid steps
• Checking in when engagement drops

These workflows are built into the “Admit/Deposit” stage of Bolt Agent Jobs.

Benefits of AI Agents for Admissions Teams

More Capacity Without More Staff

Higher ed is struggling with burnout and turnover. Staff burnout rates are 15% higher than other industries, and turnover is rising.

AI agents lighten the workload by handling repetitive tasks—freeing counselors to focus on human connection.

Faster Application Processing and Decisions

Schools using Element451’s AI capabilities have reported:

• 183,060 human minutes saved (Forsyth Tech)
• 31% conversion from prospect to applicant
• 30,000 minutes answered by AI assistants

These efficiency gains directly accelerate admissions timelines and decisions.

Instant, 24/7 Student Support

Agents respond instantly, across SMS, chat, email, and more—any time of day, in over 100 languages.

This eliminates long wait times, a major pain point for prospective students.

Higher Yield and Better Student Experience

Proactive support is linked to better retention and enrollment outcomes. Institutions with strong early-alert and advising systems see 8–12 percentage point improvements in retention.

When agents keep students moving forward—and staff have more time for 1:1 conversations—yield and persistence rise.

Explore Bolt Agents

AI agents are reshaping admissions—from reading applications to guiding students through enrollment. Want to see how Bolt Agents can expand your team’s capacity and transform your workflows? Explore what’s possible with our interactive agent experience.