Working smarter with AI: how AI can free up college counsellors’ time

College counsellors often find themselves inundated with administrative tasks: scheduling, planning, emailing and the like. This drains time from what really matters: sitting with and engaging with students. 

AI can be a game changer here because many routine tasks can be automated and streamlined. Here are just a few of the approaches I have considered implementing, which have the potential to save me hours and hours.  

1. Transcribing meetings  

One common complaint among college counsellors is the cumbersome nature of record-keeping and note-taking at student meetings. There are a host of AI-powered tools that can be used not only to record and transcribe meeting notes (in person or virtually), but to automatically share summaries with attendees. I have been thinking about setting this up to send parents a summary after a student meeting.  

There are many tools on the market for this: Augment, Otter, Vowel, MeetGeek, Katch, Fathom, Loopin, Noty, etc. It is important to explore a tool fully before committing to a purchase.   

2. Employing chatbots 

Tired of spending time producing documents, such as an annual college counselling handbook, only to find that your constituents – students and parents alike – do not read it?  

Well, there is a chance that they will engage directly with a chatbot programmed with your school or office’s unique data. I am unaware of anyone who has done this…yet. I think it is inevitable. Try taking a look at resources such as Chunky, Wonderchat or Promptly (although there are many more out there). 

3. Using career tools 

Enhancing the career exploration tools that you offer is relatively simple in light of many of the opportunities AI presents. For example, consider this blog post for aspiring architects and interior designers, which focuses exclusively on AI tools. 

4. Using resume-writing tools 

Similarly, helping students to produce high-quality resumes and CVs (as well as cover letters and the like) is made much simpler using AI tools. I have tried using KickResume, Rezi, and MyPerfectResume with students with great success. 

5. Searching for scholarships 

Tools such as Bing and ChatGPT, with live access to the internet, are excellent for aiding students in their search for scholarship opportunities. Try it out with simple prompts.

6. Preparing for interviews  

The future of the interview as part of the college application process is unclear. However, there are excellent tools available to help in the meantime. Aside from ChatGPT, which can be manipulated to act as a college interviewer, there are other AI tools, such as one offered by SqlPad.io.   

7. Drafting letters of recommendation 

While I firmly believe that AI should only be used for creating drafts for the author to review and revise before sending, ChatGPT possesses great potential to save college counsellors (and teachers) a tremendous amount of time. See this resource for more information.  

There has been much apprehension around artificial intelligence, with people fearing that these tools will take human jobs at worst and minimise human interaction at best. However, I contend that with the time freed up by incorporating AI into mundane tasks, college counsellors can focus on more individual time with students. This can lead to more significant connections with students and a richer learning environment. 

AI is here to stay, and educators who embrace it can find themselves with more time and energy for what truly matters: the students. By engaging with AI tools responsibly, and communicating the benefits to key stakeholders, college counsellors can transform their day-to-day operations and create a more vibrant, engaged and effective learning environment. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to work smarter with the aid of AI.