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Prospect Behavior

Nearly half of prospects now choose with AI — and one in five has dropped a school because of it

An EAB survey of 5,000+ high schoolers found a jump in AI use during the college search. The question is no longer whether a prospect will ask a chatbot about your program — but what the chatbot answers, and who's cited in your place.
August 20263 min read

EAB, a leading US higher-education research firm, surveyed more than 5,000 high school students (October–November 2025) on how they choose where to study. The finding: AI is no longer peripheral to the process — it has become a central step, and fast.

46%
of high school students use AI tools like ChatGPT during their college search — up sharply from 26% in spring 2025
Source: EAB · February 2026 (survey of 5,000+ students, Oct–Nov 2025)

Nearly a doubling in under a year. And more importantly — the AI's answer isn't passive. It shapes institutions' consideration set before a human ever spoke with the student.

18%
of students have already removed a school from consideration based on information surfaced by an AI answer
Source: EAB · February 2026

The implication: when the engine gives a partial or generic answer about your program, that isn't neutral — it can remove you from the list before any human contact is made. That's exactly the risk PULSE measures (AI visibility) and closes: making sure the answer about your program is present, accurate and sourced — and when the candidate is ready, a warm, fast handoff to an advisor. The chatbot is already there; the question is whether you are.

Sources

  1. EAB — "Nearly Half of High School Students Now Use AI in College Search" (AI's Influence on Education and Career Choices survey)

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