Leveraging AI for Authentic Communication in Higher Ed: Strategies to Reach Students and Parents

How can you make every student feel like they’re more than just a number? AI might be the answer. Used thoughtfully, AI has the power to make your communications feel as personal as a handshake—and as impactful as a one-on-one conversation.

At the AI Engage Summit, Allison Turcio, Assistant VP for Enrollment and Marketing at Siena College and Host of The Application, shared how AI can help build genuine connections with students and their families, enhancing—rather than replacing—authentic communication throughout the enrollment process. Discover her strategies for AI-driven personalization that amplifies reach and efficiency while staying true to Siena’s mission of putting people first.

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Smart Strategies for Authentic AI Student Engagement:

• Use AI to Amplify, Not Replace, Human Connection: Try leveraging AI tools to streamline and support your communications so you can connect with more students—without losing the personal touch that fosters real relationships.
• Focus on Truly Individualized Communication: Go beyond mail merges by adding specific, personal details to each message. Reference a student’s unique achievements, interests, or recent experiences to make each outreach feel genuinely one-of-a-kind.
• Build Custom AI Tools to Streamline Communication: Consider creating a custom AI tool, like Siena’s tailored GPT, to align with your institution’s tone and goals. This allows AI to assist in refining messages quickly, giving your team more time to focus on meaningful, personal interactions with students.
• Double-Check AI Outputs for Authenticity: AI is here to help, but a final human review is key. Make sure each AI-generated message is accurate, relevant, and aligned with your brand voice. This quick review keeps your communications authentic and meaningful.
• Engage Students with Personalized AI Content at Every Stage: Use AI to craft unique emails, texts, and even video messages tailored to each phase of the enrollment journey. With this approach, your communication can feel timely and truly relevant.

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Why Personal, Not Just Personalized, Matters in Student Communication

Allison introduced an important distinction: “personal” vs. “personalized” communication. For Siena College, personalized messages are just the beginning. The goal is to create inherently personal messages—communications that make students and families feel seen, understood, and valued.

Instead of allowing AI to replace human-written content, Allison’s team uses it to add relevant details to a human-written base. By doing so, they’ve managed to scale one-to-one communications, reaching 15% more students with a smaller admissions team, all while keeping the message genuinely personal.

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Building Custom AI Tools for Enhanced Communication

One standout tactic from Siena is the development of a custom AI model to help review and refine emails quickly and accurately. This custom tool aligns with Siena’s brand tone, style, and communication goals, ensuring every AI-generated message maintains their voice.

Plus, during high-traffic times like admissions season, Allison’s team can refine emails in seconds, allowing more time for face-to-face connections with students. These efficiency gains are invaluable for fostering personal connections with students on a larger scale.

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Practical Applications: Financial Aid and Beyond

One of the standout uses of AI at Siena College has been transforming how they approach financial aid communications—a sensitive and often emotional aspect of the student journey. In the past, the financial aid team used templated responses to manage a high volume of inquiries. While efficient, these generic templates often fell short in addressing the personal and sometimes complex situations that students and families face, especially when dealing with issues like financial hardship, family illness, or sudden job loss.

With AI, Siena’s team can go beyond templates by personalizing responses to reflect empathy and understanding. AI helps generate responses that acknowledge situational details in a genuine and caring way.

This shift from templated to AI-supported, personalized communication has made a meaningful impact. Students and families not only get answers but also feel that Siena cares about their unique situations. It’s a small change that can help foster trust and strengthen relationships right from the start.

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How Can I Use This? 

If you're wondering how to make these AI strategies work for you, start by using AI to streamline email reviews. It is an easy first step to introduce you and your team to the power of AI. 

Try creating a custom GPT that’s aligned with your brand’s tone and communication goals. This tool can quickly review your emails for clarity, tone, and engagement, allowing your team to focus on building real connections rather than spending hours editing emails. 

For example, if you’re sending an application reminder, your AI can help refine the message to be more concise and engaging, ensuring it speaks directly to the student’s interests and goals.

Next, think about multichannel outreach. Begin with one message, like a personalized email, and then prompt AI to adapt it for other formats, such as a short, engaging text message or even a video script. 

This approach lets you reach students across platforms in a way that feels cohesive and personal. While AI can help scale these efforts, it’s important to review each piece of content to ensure it’s accurate and genuine. Thoughtfully edited, AI-enhanced messaging can create memorable, meaningful interactions that keep students engaged throughout their enrollment journey.

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Dive Into More AI Engage Summit Content

Missed the AI Engage Summit? You can still replay Allison Turcio’s full presentation—and explore other valuable resources on AI-driven innovation in higher education.

• Element451’s AI Learning Center – Must-read guides to help you shape your institution’s future with AI-powered innovation.
• The AI For U Podcast – Practical insights from Brian Piper to help you integrate AI seamlessly and confidently.‍
• The Generation AI Podcast – Every Tuesday, Ardis Kadiu and Dr. JC Bonilla unpack AI’s role in higher ed, helping you stay ahead in this evolving field.