What are Some Plausible Futures of College and Program Selection?
As we reach the second part of the 2020s, the landscape of college exploration and decision-making is undergoing a profound transformation. Just as the 16% of high school students currently using generative AI for college research represents an increase from 12% in 2024, we're witnessing only the early stages of what might be a revolutionary shift in how students select their educational pathways.
The top six queries students are asking ChatGPT about college today, ranging from institution comparisons to financial aid options, represent just the beginning of a much deeper integration of AI in educational decision-making. But what happens when these standalone questions evolve into continuous relationships with dedicated AI agents specifically designed to guide students through the entire college selection process?
In this blog, I explore the evolution of AI education agents, what we can learn from Walmart’s experience, and insights into exploring how to market their products when customers might give their AI agents the right to make purchases on their behalf. I also share two plausible scenarios to consider the potential opportunities, consequences, and implications of adopting an AI-first approach. I hope that education leaders keep these scenarios in mind as they consider their next marketing strategies and how they support their learners.
Note of caution: No one can predict the future; these are just ideas of how the future might look in the next 5-10 years. Use this information to consider the implications and potential opportunities for supporting your organization and students.
From Questions to Companions: The Evolution of AI Education Agents
By 2030, we can envision students receiving personalized AI education agents or digital companions designed to learn alongside them, understand their strengths, observe their interests, and ultimately help them navigate the increasingly complex landscape of higher education options.
These agents won't simply respond to questions; they'll proactively offer guidance based on a deep understanding of the student's profile:
"Magui, I notice you've excelled in your biology coursework and spend significant time on environmental projects. Have you considered these three environmental science programs that match your interest in field research?"
"Based on your family's financial situation and academic performance, these five universities would likely offer you the most comprehensive financial aid packages."
"Your learning style seems to favor collaborative, project-based work. The programs at these institutions emphasize this approach rather than lecture-heavy instruction."
Walmart's AI Revolution: A Preview for Higher Education
Walmart's approach to AI shopping agents offers a compelling parallel to the future of college selection. As Walmart's CTO Hari Vasudev noted, "It will be different. Advertising will have to evolve." The retail giant is both developing its own shopping agents and preparing for third-party agents that will shop on behalf of consumers.
Just as Walmart envisions scenarios where customers might ask an AI agent to "restock groceries" or "buy a new flat-screen TV," we can imagine students instructing their agents to "find programs with strong research opportunities in marine biology" or "identify universities with the best financial aid for my profile."
The implications for higher education mirror those facing retailers. As Gartner analyst Robert Hetu observed about retail, AI agents may be "less likely to be attracted to images or visuals designed to elicit an emotional response." For universities, this means the carefully crafted emotional appeals in viewbooks and campus tour videos may become less effective than structured data about outcomes, costs, and program specifics that AI agents can easily parse and compare.
Most critically, just as retailers risk "losing control of the direct customer relationship" when consumers delegate shopping to AI agents, universities may find themselves increasingly removed from the initial discovery and consideration phases of the college selection process. Institutions that adapt quickly to this new paradigm, making their offerings "AI-readable" and developing their own AI agents, will maintain their competitive edge.
Scenario 1: The AI University Pioneers College Selection Revolution
By 2030, we can envision a scenario where a forward-thinking institution becomes the first AI-first university to fully integrate AI agents into its recruitment and program selection processes.
In this scenario, the University announces the launch of "PathwayAI," a sophisticated AI agent platform designed to create personalized educational journeys for each prospective student. While other universities are still using AI primarily for chatbots on their websites, this forward-thinking university takes the bold step of providing every applicant with a dedicated AI agent that:
Conducts deep interest and aptitude assessments through natural conversations rather than standardized tests
Creates a "digital twin" of the student that simulates their performance across different programs and learning environments
Designs fully customized degree pathways that blend elements from multiple disciplines based on the student's unique goals
Provides immersive virtual campus experiences tailored to each student's interests
Within three years, this university has seen a deep increase in applications, with students specifically citing the personalized nature of the AI-designed programs as their primary reason for applying. Traditional universities struggle to compete with institutions that effectively offer a bespoke educational experience tailored to each student.
The success hinges on the university’s decision to keep humans in critical roles. For example, admissions counselors become "AI partnership coordinators" who help students interpret and refine the AI's recommendations, while professors focus on providing mentorship rather than delivering standard content. This human-AI collaboration model becomes the new gold standard, compelling other institutions to rapidly evolve their approaches.
Scenario 2: The Trust Crisis in AI College Advising
The crisis begins when investigative journalists uncover that the most popular third-party AI college advisory platform has been systematically biased in its recommendations. The algorithm has been subtly steering students toward institutions that paid for premium partnerships, while presenting these suggestions as purely objective matches based on student profiles.
More troublingly, data reveals that the AI system has been making significantly different recommendations based on socioeconomic indicators and zip codes, effectively reinforcing educational inequality rather than addressing it. Students from lower-income backgrounds were consistently directed toward less competitive programs with lower graduation rates, even when their academic profiles suggested they could succeed at more selective institutions.
The scandal deepens when researchers discover that many of these AI systems are providing outdated or inaccurate information about programs and financial aid opportunities. Students report making major life decisions based on AI recommendations, only to discover the information was incorrect or incomplete.
A coalition of educational equity organizations files a class-action lawsuit. At the same time, regulators begin investigating whether AI college advising platforms should be subject to the same disclosure requirements as human college counselors. College admissions offices report a surge in applicants requesting to speak directly with human advisors rather than relying on AI systems.
This trust crisis leads to the development of "transparent AI" certification standards for educational advising tools, requiring:
Clear disclosure of all institutional partnerships and financial relationships
Regular third-party audits of recommendation algorithms for bias
Human oversight and verification of critical information about programs and financial aid
Data sovereignty options allowing students to limit or control how their information is used
Later on, the industry stabilizes around a hybrid model where AI tools provide initial recommendations, but key decisions are verified by human counselors, particularly for students from underrepresented backgrounds or those with complex educational needs.
The New College Decision Landscape
As we look toward the 2030s, the integration of AI agents in college selection is likely to strike a balance between automation and human guidance. The most successful institutions will be those that:
Embrace AI-human partnerships: Using AI to handle information processing and initial matching while preserving human relationships for value-based discussions and emotional support
Prioritize transparency: Making their AI systems explainable and accountable, rather than black boxes of recommendations
Focus on personalization without isolation: Creating customized learning experiences while maintaining community and shared educational values
Develop AI literacy: Teaching students not just to use AI tools but to evaluate their recommendations critically.
The fundamental nature of college exploration is already shifting from institution-centered marketing to student-centered matching, and AI agents will accelerate this transformation. Like the shopping agents that will soon help consumers navigate retail options, education agents will soon become the primary interface through which many students discover and evaluate their higher education options.
For institutions, the implications are profound: websites optimized for human visitors may become secondary to data structures designed for AI agent interpretation. Colleges that fail to make their programs, outcomes, and differentiators "AI-readable" risk becoming invisible to the next generation of students.
The winners in this new landscape will be institutions that successfully balance technological innovation with human connection, using AI to enhance rather than replace the deeply personal process of helping young people find their educational path.
The question is no longer whether AI will transform college selection, but how quickly the transformation will occur and whether institutions are prepared for a world where their first impression isn't made on a student, but on the student's AI agent.
Sources:
Encoura - The Top 6 Things High School Students Ask ChatGPT About College
The Wall Street Journal: Walmart Is Preparing to Welcome Its Next Customer: The AI Shopping Agent
Trust, attitudes and use of artificial intelligence: A global study 2025
Note: This blog was written with the support of the Gen AI tool available on Notion. I keep track of stories using this tool, and I brainstorm what these ideas might mean for plausible futures in education. I am also a Grammarly user to ensure the content is grammatically correct.
