Marketplace All-in-One AI meets the search for a BA
Feb 25, 2026
High schoolers are using AI to find and compare colleges, nearly doubling in a year. They ask AI about programs, sports, campus vibes and scholarship tradeoffs. Colleges are spending heavily to make sure AI finds accurate, up-to-date information. Consultants use AI to surface lesser-known schools that fit students' specific needs.
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Half Of College-Bound Teens Use AI
- About half of high schoolers planning to go to college now use AI in their search, nearly double since last spring.
- EAB co-author Michael Koppenheffer says students ask targeted queries like campus vibe on Reddit/Instagram and pros/cons using admissions and scholarship info.
College Consultant Sees Teens Rely On AI
- Jennifer Jesse, a D.C. college consultant, notices students use AI constantly to find programs that match attributes like engineering or athletics.
- She reports students ask AI for lists and expect tailored fits, e.g., engineering program plus good football team.
Teens Ask AI For Campus Vibe
- Students push AI to surface qualitative signals like campus "vibe" by asking it to scan Reddit and Instagram.
- Koppenheffer highlights this reflects a shift from simple facts to social-feel questions in college search.