Conversational AI Chatbot Supports Prospective Students at University of South Carolina Aiken

student looking at cell phone

Prospective students at the University of South Carolina Aiken can now get on-demand support throughout their admissions and enrollment process by communicating with an artificial intelligence chatbot. The university partnered with AdmitHub to develop the conversational AI tool, which is accessible via text message and Facebook Messenger. Its goal: to help students transition to college and reduce "summer melt," the phenomenon in which admitted students fail to show up for fall enrollment.

"Today's college students communicate differently, and when we saw e-mail responsiveness begin to decline, we knew we needed a solution that could meet students where they are," said Daniel Robb, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at USC Aiken, in a statement. "This cutting-edge AI technology has enabled us to communicate directly with students in real-time via text message — helping ensure a smooth start to the college experience and giving more students across the United States the chance to pursue a college education."

Since the launch of the chatbot at USC Aiken, 28 percent more students have committed to enrolling and 58 percent more have signed up for first-year orientation in fall 2019 compared to fall 2018, according to a news announcement.

"Preparing for college is about more than academics — and it's often the non-academic factors, from financial aid paperwork to unexpected deadlines, that create the most significant barriers for students," said Drew Magliozzi, co-founder and CEO of AdmitHub. "AI can help colleges not only respond to students' questions at the moment of need — but also learn from thousands of interactions to better anticipate and address common challenges."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • computer with a red warning icon on its screen, surrounded by digital grids, glowing neural network patterns, and a holographic brain

    Report Highlights Security Risks of Open Source AI

    In these days of rampant ransomware and other cybersecurity exploits, security is paramount to both proprietary and open source AI approaches — and here the open source movement might be susceptible to some inherent drawbacks, such as use of possibly insecure code from unknown sources.

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • a professional worker in business casual attire interacting with a large screen displaying a generative AI interface in a modern office

    Study: Generative AI Could Inhibit Critical Thinking

    A new study on how knowledge workers engage in critical thinking found that workers with higher confidence in generative AI technology tend to employ less critical thinking to AI-generated outputs than workers with higher confidence in personal skills.

  • university building with classical columns and a triangular roof displayed on a computer screen, surrounded by minimalist tech elements like circuit lines and abstract digital shapes

    Pima Community College Launches New Portal for a Unified Digital Campus Experience

    Arizona's Pima Community College is elevating the digital campus experience for students, faculty, and staff with a new portal built on the Pathify digital engagement platform.