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Is Your Admissions and Marketing Team AI Ready?
Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging idea. It is already reshaping how schools communicate their story, engage families, and manage the admissions process.
Let’s be honest: AI won’t replace your admissions team.But school leaders who ignore it will be replaced by those who don’t.
What We Learned from The AI Shift Webinar
Recently, Andy Lynch and I presented our webinar, The AI Shift: Future-Proofing Your School’s Marketing and Admissions Strategy. As part of the session, we polled attendees about where they are in their use of AI.
Here’s what the poll revealed:
👉 46% identified as Digital Dabblers
👉 22% said they were All-In Adopters
👉 The rest were somewhere in between
This matches what I’m consistently seeing in my consulting work. Most school leaders are experimenting with AI. They have a free ChatGPT account, they’ve tested a few prompts, and they use AI occasionally for content creation or brainstorming. But very few have integrated it into their daily workflow.
And that is exactly where the opportunity lies.
The Shift from Dabbling to Adopting
The difference between schools that dabble with AI and schools that adopt it strategically is significant. Dabblers see AI as a novelty. Adopters see it as a tool that amplifies their team’s capabilities.
AI isn’t a fad. It is a force multiplier.
When school leaders learn how to incorporate AI wisely into admissions and marketing, tangible improvements emerge.
- Personalized emails are drafted quickly and tailored effectively.
- Data is analyzed in moments instead of days.
- Marketing content calendars are developed in minutes.
- Communication becomes clearer, more consistent, and more relevant.
AI doesn’t replace the personal, relational work that defines independent and faith-based schools. It strengthens it. By streamlining repetitive tasks, AI allows your team to focus on what matters most: building relationships with families.
Why Being “AI Ready” Matters Right Now
The 2025 AI Marketing Industry Report from Social Media Examiner confirms the pace of change around us:
- 84% of marketers increased their use of AI this year.
- 60% now use AI daily, up from 37% last year.
- 90% say AI saves them time, and 87% say it boosts productivity.
- 70% believe AI will create new opportunities rather than eliminate jobs.
If other industries are moving this quickly, schools cannot afford to remain on the sidelines. AI literacy is becoming a leadership competency. Schools that develop the skills and systems today will be better positioned to connect with families tomorrow.
Parents Have Already Shifted
As I’ve written about in AI Search Optimization: 7 Strategies to Boost Your School’s Visibility in AI Search and From Google to ChatGPT: How AI Is Changing the Way Parents Search for Private Schools, parents are no longer simply relying on Google. They are asking AI tools to help them make school decisions.
This shift affects every stage of the admissions funnel. If your school is not preparing for AI-driven search and engagement, you risk becoming invisible in the very places families are looking.
What’s Next: Preparing School Leaders for 2026
If you missed The AI Shift webinar, you can access the recording here. It provides a helpful foundation for understanding where AI is headed and how it will impact schools.
But watching a webinar is only the beginning.
Early in 2026, after the holidays, I will be launching a new AI Catalyst Program for School Leaders, Admissions, and Marketing Teams. This program will help schools move from dabbling to confidently applying AI in strategic, relevant, and practical ways.
This new program will focus on:
- Building AI competency and confidence for admissions and marketing leaders
- Practical GPTs for admissions and marketing teams
- Improving communication, content creation, and data insights through AI
- Preparing your school for changes in how families search and make decisions
If you want to be notified when this program opens, join the early interest list here.
AI isn’t just changing the world around us. It is shaping the expectations of the families you want to reach. The schools that take action today will be the ones leading enrollment growth tomorrow.