649. AI AND THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS

In a process with as many steps as choosing, applying to, and being accepted at a target higher education institution, small improvements in efficiency at any point can compound dramatically for both applicants and admissions offices. Amy and Mike invited ed tech entrepreneur Sam Bernstein to explore the current state of AI and the college admissions process. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How is AI changing the way students search for colleges and navigate the application process? How should students and parents be using AI in the college process—and where should they draw the line? What AI-powered tools should parents, counselors, and IECs be aware of? How can counselors use AI to manage caseloads more efficiently while maintaining a personal touch? What does a student-first future look like in an AI-driven college admissions landscape? MEET OUR GUEST Sam Bernstein is the co-founder of Loper, a free mobile app designed to help students explore and discover their best educational opportunities after high school. The inspiration for Loper came out of the pandemic, where "life on pause" led to two college friends (Sam and his co-founder Eric) spending long nights discussing their shared passion: education. Fast forward two years, and they quit their jobs to launch Loper, which has now helped nearly 200,000 students find best-fit opportunities after high school. Since founding Loper, Sam has spoken at nearly a dozen industry conferences, and he always loves the opportunity to present to both students and parents on college and career readiness. Sam lives in Chicago, loves to bike, and (so far) has kept up with his 2025 resolution to read more fiction. His favorite podcast is "Revolutions" by Mike Duncan. Sam has previously appeared on the podcast in episode 360 to discuss FINDING YOUR COLLEGE FIT. The best place to connect with Sam is on LinkedIn. If you have questions about Loper or are interested in either a virtual or live presentation to your students, you can reach him at [email protected]. LINKS AI Is Taking Over College Admissions Incorporating AI into the Admissions Process Loper ESAI CollegeCraft.Ai TurboLearn AI RELATED EPISODES COLLEGE ESSAYS IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ADMISSIONS LESSONS FROM ADMISSIONS REPS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.