AI changed how students choose colleges. Has your digital experience kept up?

Artificial intelligence is changing how students discover, evaluate, and compare colleges. Many prospective students now arrive on institutional websites after using AI to narrow their options, explore programs, and answer their initial questions. When they visit your site, they are looking for confidence in their decision and a clear path forward.

That shift calls for a new approach to the digital experience. Every interaction should build trust, answer the questions that matter most, and help students take the next step. It also calls for a fresh look at how institutions measure success. Traditional funnel metrics tell only part of the story when students complete more of their decision-making before reaching your website.

In this 45-minute intermediate session, Kelly Kautz, Principal Strategist, Data & Digital Experience at Paskill, will explore how AI is reshaping student expectations and what institutions can do to respond. Drawing on current research and practical examples, she will share strategies for creating digital experiences that inspire confidence, reveal where prospective students lose momentum, and produce stronger enrollment outcomes.

Participants will leave with practical strategies to:

• Build digital experiences that strengthen trust and support student decision-making.
• Identify where prospective students lose confidence before they apply or enroll.
• Measure the digital interactions that matter most in an AI-influenced enrollment journey.
• Prioritize improvements that help more students move from interest to enrollment.

As AI continues to reshape college search, institutions that understand the student journey and continuously improve their digital experience will be better positioned to earn trust and grow enrollment.