UPenn College Counseling Certificate Program · 2-Hour Session
AI in College Admission:
AI in College Admission:
What Counselors Need to Know to Guide the Next Generation
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Session Overview
About This Session
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the college admissions landscape — from how students discover schools to how applications are reviewed and decisions are made. As trusted guides in students' post-secondary journeys, counselors must understand these shifts to advise with clarity, confidence, and ethics.
This session will demystify AI's current and emerging role in admissions and post-secondary decision-making. Through hands-on demonstrations, ethical discussions, and real-world examples, you'll explore how AI is shaping opportunity and equity in education — and how to prepare students to navigate this evolving landscape responsibly.
Learning Objectives
A clear understanding of how AI is being used by universities in the admission process
Practical strategies for helping students ethically use AI for essays, career exploration, and school research
Awareness of the ethical and equity considerations surrounding AI in admissions
Actionable frameworks for integrating AI literacy into student advising across all post-secondary pathways
Session Agenda at a Glance
0:00–0:10
Welcome & FramingChat warm-up, setting expectations, comfort level context
0:10–0:25
Comfort Level ActivitySelf-assessment across 10 AI-related counseling activities
0:25–0:50
Section 1 — How Admission Offices Are Using AIProspect identification, marketing, chatbots, yield prediction, and application review
0:50–1:10
Section 2 — Student Use of AILive demo: AI-generated essay; tools students are using; the essay question
1:10–1:20
Break10-minute break
1:20–1:35
Section 3 — Counselor Use of AIHow AI can support your own practice: list-building, communication, admin efficiency
1:35–1:50
Section 4 — Ethics & EquityAccess gaps, bias, misinformation, the equity dimension
1:50–2:00
Section 5 — Advising in the Age of AIBuilding student judgment; closing comfort level reflection
Breakout
Case Study DiscussionsSmall group scenarios (Groups A–D)
1
Before the Session — Required Preparation
Please complete before class. The readings and videos below will help you arrive with enough context to engage meaningfully in discussion. We'll reference these materials throughout the session — you don't need to take detailed notes, just read/watch with curiosity.
Required Complete before class
Go Deeper Optional extended reading
Tool / Resource Hands-on resource
Policy Policy-related
📰 Read — News & Current Events
Virginia Tech Updates Its Undergraduate Admissions Process
Virginia Tech publicly announced a hybrid human+AI review model for essays — a notable example of transparent communication about AI use. We will discuss this in class as a model of responsible disclosure.
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UNC Uses AI in Admissions Review Process, Documents Show How
The Daily Tar Heel's investigation revealed that UNC has used automated essay-scoring technology since 2019 — without publicly disclosing it. A key case study in transparency and student trust.
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UNC Confirms Admissions Essays Are Reviewed by Durham-Based Company's Technology
The follow-up story confirming UNC uses Measurement Incorporated's PEG engine — a machine-learning tool for essay scoring. Useful context for understanding the student perspective.
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📺 Watch — AICA Videos (Optional)
Evolving AI Toolkit for College Admission
A practical overview of the tools and approaches counselors are actively using right now — from list-building to communication to ethics. Good grounding for the full session.
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Empowering Students to Use AI Ethically in College Admissions
An expert panel on real-world experiences guiding students through ethical AI use in the application process. Especially relevant to Sections 2 and 4.
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Leading the Way: How College Counselors Can Guide Ethical AI Use
Focused on the counselor's role in shaping how students engage with AI — directly relevant to our advising frameworks discussion.
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Section 1 Resources — How Admission Offices Are Using AI
These resources support our discussion of how university admission offices are using AI — across recruitment, marketing, chatbots, yield prediction, and application review.
🔍 Key Case Studies: Transparent vs. Opaque
Virginia Tech — The Transparent Approach
Virginia Tech publicly communicated their AI-assisted review model, framing AI as a tool to "confirm" human scores. A benchmark for responsible institutional communication. (Assigned reading — see Pre-Session above.)
UNC — The Opaque Approach
UNC used AI for essay scoring for five cycles before it became public through investigative journalism — not voluntary disclosure. (Assigned reading — see Pre-Session above.)
UNC Confirms Admissions Essays Are Reviewed by Durham-Based Company's Technology
The follow-up story confirming UNC uses Measurement Incorporated's PEG engine — a machine-learning tool for essay scoring. Provides deeper context on how the technology actually works.
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📋 Admission AI Policies Padlet
AI Policies Specific to College Admission
A growing, curated padlet of institution-specific AI policies related to the college admission process. We will reference this directly during the session to explore how different schools are (or aren't) communicating their approach to students.
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UCAS Guide to Using AI Tools
UCAS (UK's centralized college application system) offers unusually clear, student-facing guidance on AI use. A strong example of what transparent, helpful policy communication can look like.
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📖 Additional Reading
3
Section 2 Resources — Student Use of AI
We will do a live demo in class using ChatGPT to generate a college essay. These resources provide additional context around what students are doing — and what that means for your advising practice.
AI Is Killing the College Essay. Enter the "Video Essay." — Washington Monthly
With roughly one in three seniors using AI for essays in 2023–24, some colleges are requiring video introductions as a response. This piece explores both the trend and its equity implications.
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Empowering Students to Use AI Ethically — AICA Recording
Expert counselors share practical frameworks for guiding students through ethical AI use during the application process.
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AI Use in Application Essays — One-Page Guidance (Daniel Villanueva, Jr.)
A concise, shareable one-pager you can give students or families outlining general guidance for using AI in application essays.
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AI Use in Recommendation Letters — One-Page Guidance (Daniel Villanueva, Jr.)
Companion resource to the essay guide, covering counselor and teacher use of AI when drafting letters of recommendation.
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4
Section 3 Resources — Counselor Use of AI
This section is about you — not your students. These tools and prompts are things counselors are actively using to save time and improve their practice.
Jeff Neill's College Research Summary Prompt
A sample prompt for using AI to quickly synthesize information about a college — policies, deadlines, program details — so you can stay informed without reading dozens of webpages.
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Jeff Neill's College List Building Prompt
A prompt framework for using AI to generate a starting college list based on a student's profile — GPA, interests, geography, size preferences, and selectivity bands.
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Jeff Neill's Full Prompt Library for College Counselors
A maintained library of counseling prompts for a wide range of advising tasks. One of the most practical resources available for counselors who want to integrate AI into their daily workflow.
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AICA AI Toolkit for Educators
A curated collection of AI tools and resources for counselors and educators, organized for practical use in college advising contexts.
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Responsible AI in Admission: Choosing, Testing, and Launching AI Tools
A practical guide for how institutions and counselors can evaluate and responsibly adopt new AI tools into their workflows.
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Section 4 Resources — Ethics & Equity
AI tools are not equally accessible. These resources support our discussion of bias, misinformation, the equity gap, and what responsible AI use looks like in practice.
Opportunities vs. Risks in AI & Admissions — Shared Whiteboard
We will use this padlet live during the session. You are welcome to add to it before class if you'd like to contribute thoughts in advance.
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AI Policy Guidance for Institutions — Edhub.ai
A guide designed to help schools and institutions develop their own AI policies for the college admission process — covering principles, language, and considerations for equitable implementation.
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AI for Education
AI literacy resources including webinars, courses, trainings, and a prompt library for educators. Useful for thinking about how to build student AI fluency in a structured, ethical way.
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University of Maine: Learn with AI
A well-organized AI in education resource guide. A useful reference for counselors who want to understand foundational concepts or share accessible materials with colleagues and students.
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Section 5 — Advising in the Age of AI
The final section zooms out from admissions specifically to the bigger picture. Students are entering a workforce and world where AI fluency matters — and counselors are in a unique position to model critical, curious engagement with these tools. We'll close by revisiting your comfort level from the start of the session and reflecting on what has shifted.
Breakout Room Activity: You will be assigned to one group (A–D). Each group discusses one scenario for about 8 minutes, then shares a key takeaway with the full group in the chat.
Group A
A student submits an essay that you suspect was mostly AI-generated. What do you do?
Group B
A student asks you to review an essay they "wrote with AI help." It's well-structured but sounds nothing like them. How do you respond?
Group C
A student from a low-income background with no private counseling asks if they can use ChatGPT to help with their entire application. What's your guidance?
Group D
A parent emails you asking whether their student's school should ban AI tools entirely for college application support. How do you respond?
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Go Deeper — Community & Continued Learning
This field is moving fast. Here's where to stay connected and keep learning after today's session.
AICA Past Events Archive — Full YouTube Library
All recorded AICA sessions, filterable by secondary or postsecondary audience. New recordings added regularly. Subscribe to be notified of new content.
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AICA LinkedIn Community
A growing community of counselors, advisors, and admission professionals sharing resources and discussion on AI in college admissions.
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NACAC AI in College Admissions Special Interest Group (SIG)
NACAC members can engage with the AI in College Admissions SIG through the Engage platform — a professional home for deeper involvement in this space.
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Tech-Neill-ogy Newsletter — Jeff Neill
A newsletter by school counselor and AICA advisor Jeff Neill, focused on practical applications of technology and AI in college counseling. Highly recommended ongoing reading.
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Future of Higher Education (FOHE)
A community for higher education professionals engaging with trends, including AI. Features events and a Slack community with a college admissions micro-community.
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Edhub.ai — Full Resource Library
The complete AICA resource hub, including the AI toolkit, policy guidance, use cases, and more. Your ongoing reference point for AI in college admissions.
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