Innovative college admissions offices often look for new ways to improve the student experience with technology, automation, and digital assistance. Nowadays, many of those efforts focus on artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as chatbots.

In Ivy.ai’s Future of Higher Education Study, 42% of students reported positive experiences with their institution’s use of chatbot technologies. And while schools are still rolling out new ways to deliver exceptional enrollment experiences, one thing seems certain—AI-powered solutions are here to stay in higher ed.

Is your school keeping up with admissions technologies to deliver competitive, proven experiences to prospective students? You’re in the right place. 

Discover how to integrate a chatbot into your existing workflow—and why new tools make all the difference in student engagement. 

What are College Admissions Chatbots?

For many years, businesses and service providers have leveraged chatbots on college website pages to drive visitor responses and increase customer engagement. The same bots used in business or commercial applications can also be put to good use in helping students navigate the higher ed process.

A chatbot works by engaging with website visitors on a designated homepage or landing page site. When site visitors ask questions or request information about a specific account, the bot provides data in the form of automated responses. 

As a form of artificial intelligence technology, chatbots depend on natural language processing (NLP) to deliver sensible answers that are both factual and helpful. Machine learning elements allow chatbots to regularly collect new information for future conversations and use.

What Can a Chatbot Do for Higher Education Institutions?

Enrollment and admissions chatbots offer several practical benefits to potential students and to staff members who work in these offices. 

Because chatbots function around the clock, one of the biggest perks is that students can pose questions and access answers any time of day, without having to make a phone call or wait for a response during designated business hours. Other use cases for chatbots in admissions include the following initiatives.

Update Student Applications and Receive Admission Status

When a prospective student applies, they may want updates on what stage of the pipeline they’re in. With a chatbot, you can quickly deliver information on whether an application has been received, reviewed, or even approved for upcoming enrollment. This convenience alleviates students’ worries and provides quick feedback in a potentially stressful time.

Schedule Admissions Visits and Campus Appointments

Many chatbots provide integrated calendar features that allow students to book in-person campus visits, admissions interviews, or other important campus appointments. Integrate the chatbot to staff calendars to ensure that information updates easily and that students receive detailed reminders.

Reroute to Financial Aid or Other University Offices

Sometimes, students reach out to their primary admissions contact when they actually need help with a financial or academic question. Chatbots can easily reroute students to the right place or personnel, logging relevant information so that all staff members understand each unique situation. 

Boost Student Engagement with Personal Touchpoints

Chatbot usage is just another way to help students feel included in the campus community. When the lines of communication stay open, students feel more confident in the overall experience and are more likely to persist or stay committed to their enrollment plans. 

3 Tips for Using Chatbots in the Admissions Cycle or Enrollment Process

Even though AI technology has the potential to revolutionize any school or campus community, following best practices is the key to successful implementation. 

Do you know how to promote adoption among students and staff alike? Let us help you ensure the best outcome when it comes to chatbot integration.

Make the Experience Personal

Interacting with some chatbots can feel robotic and stale. But as technology advances, these tools become more conversational, relational, and even empathetic as they provide answers. 

Cutting edge schools have made it a point to train bots so that they’re incredibly personalized to the student in question, even as they deliver swift communication about basic inquiries.

In an interview with EdTech Magazine, one leader at Arizona State University says:

“Even though students know it’s a chatbot, they really are feeling this kind of emotional connection to the university and emotional connection to the chatbot, which we laugh at, but sometimes that’s the factor that keeps students engaged and continuing.”

Not surprisingly, this level of personal connection contributes to better retention rates and improved student outcomes throughout the academic year. As the chatbot experience becomes more personal in nature, students know that they have the support they need to move through academic goals and personal milestones with ease.

Design a Branded Experience

Believe it or not, chatbots can start to respond in ways that are unique to a given college or university. As a result, designers should program bots with branded vocabulary or information that’s both user-friendly and familiar.

To implement this successfully, write playbooks for the bot based on a designated language that’s unique to a school. Pick a tone of voice that allows your chatbot to mimic existing branding or personality. Some schools even go so far as to name the chatbot so that it feels like a tech-friendly mascot that students know and trust.

Remember—just because you’re using a popular tech tool doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice awesome brand style or voice. Weave these elements into the chatbot experience so that it’s memorable, fun, and on-point.

Aim for Multi-Channel Chats

Finally, plan to launch your AI powered chatbot across multiple platforms or channels. The best way to do this is by offering chat functionality on the school’s primary website, in SMS texts, and via web messenger platforms. Not only does this expand how staff members can use incoming chat data, but it also gives flexibility and convenience when students are on-the-go.

Element451 Chatbot Solutions for Higher Education

Element451’s conversational chatbot, BoltBot, is making it easier for all kinds of institutions to leverage chatbot technology as part of the typical student journey. With BoltBot, admissions teams of any size can offer timely responses to prospective applicants, achieve better student engagement rates, and expand audience reach—all with a single tool.

BoltBot is powered by OpenAI GPT-4, the technology and natural language framework that powers the increasingly popular ChatGPT platform. With this new development, Element451 is further embarking on a mission to provide the most comprehensive student engagement platform and CRM in higher education.

>> Get Your ChatGPT Cheat Sheet for Higher Ed Here <<

With BoltBot, admissions officers can help new and enrolled students find answers to complex questions, deliver relevant responses to new inquiries, and integrate seamlessly with Element451's profile and database information. Not to mention, BoltBot has the ability to do things like:

• Remember and recall comprehensive chat histories in the admission process
• Support multiple languages and channels for diverse student groups
• Offer personalized assistance to students and families
• Boost productivity on internal teams
• Enhance student interactions at every stage of the enrollment process (and beyond)

Modernize Your Admissions and Enrollment Journey

Admissions technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and now is the perfect time to level up your tools, platforms, and engagement strategy for prospective and current students.

As students find new experiences with artificial intelligence, expectations are shifting. Chatbots pave the way for greater convenience with a personalized, branded touch. We can help you make sure your efforts keep pace.

>> Schedule an Element451 demo today. <<