Stephanie Hughes

He says kids are turning to AI because it makes the whole exhausting college search process easier.

He says colleges have to pay attention to how they appear in these AI responses.

It's like SEO, but instead of getting noticed by a search engine, they have to get noticed by an AI.

Koppenheffer says colleges also have to work on their digital presence.

Make sure everything about the school is up to date and accurate.

Otherwise, the AIs could surface old information.

It can also be expensive.

Nick Swisher is vice president for brand and marketing at Indiana Wesleyan University, a private college in central Indiana.

The school is spending about half a million dollars annually on its AI influencing efforts.

That's about 10% of the marketing budget.

Swisher says they've added a lot of FAQs to their website to answer questions like, what could I do with this degree?

It's not just teenagers using AI in the college search process, but parents and counselors too.

Jennifer Jesse is a college consultant in the D.C.

area.

One thing that's frustrating is AI will sometimes surface the same schools over and over again.

Instead, she wants AI to surface the hidden gems.

That way it can really help students find schools that are the best fit for them.

I'm Stephanie Hughes for Marketplace.

The DoD and an AI giant face off.

From American Public Media, this is Marketplace Tech.