AI Can Help You Choose A College
College admission decisions have landed. Over the last few months, schools have chosen between applicants, and now the decision-making process is back in the students' hands. Along with their supporters, newly admitted applicants have until May 1, the National Candidate Reply Date, to choose and submit an enrollment deposit at one school.
Choice is a privilege but it can be layered with uncertainty, doubt, and emotion. For many young people, this will be the most significant decision they have made to date, and it can feel overwhelming. A 2023 survey from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) found that 76% of students felt that applying to college was a decisive moment in their lives. Now that they know where they have been admitted, information will be coming at them from many sources—admission marketing, classmates, family, etc.—and it can be challenging to make sense of it all. In that same survey, 61% of respondents reported being overwhelmed by the advice they had been given.
This is a highly personal decision that cannot be outsourced, but one that can certainly be supported by the power of artificial intelligence (AI). After all, one thing AI is good at is processing a lot of information. I have written about the decision-making process before with advice from admission leaders, a look at the paradox of choice, and a discussion of belonging. I continue to believe that there is no substitute for identifying your key criteria, stepping onto campus, and asking good questions of many different people. AI, however, can help you up your game, filter out distractions, and dig deeper into what matters.
Get Personal
Emily Pacheco is an associate director of undergraduate admissions at Case Western Reserve University and founder of the NACAC special interest group on AI. She agrees that 'AI can be especially valuable in helping students make sense of the overwhelming amount of information involved in the college decision process.' She says, 'Rather than researching each school individually and drawing their own conclusions, students can use AI tools to compare institutions based on highly personalized criteria. For instance, a student might ask an AI tool to compare two universities in terms of how well they support introverted students who are passionate about music and plan to major in STEM.' Pacheco adds, 'These tools can synthesize large amounts of data and present insights in a way that is tailored, digestible, and easy to act on. By cutting through the noise of countless websites and brochures, AI offers students a focused, more nuanced perspective on what matters most to them.'
As you attempt to choose a college home for the next four (or more) years, what will be most important to you? Use this knowledge to generate prompts for AI tools to explore. Here are some potential questions/prompts you might use with a Large Language Model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Gemini:
'Compare the mission statements of (names of two or more colleges). What are the key differences?'
'What is the return on investment for a degree from (college name) and what is the alumni network like?'
'Please review the last two years of articles from the (college name) student newspaper and give the 10 most frequently written about issues and areas of concern for students.'
'Review all social media feeds from (college name) in the last year. What are common themes and highlights?'
'I plan to study (major) in college. What are special opportunities or challenges at (college name) in this major?'
Make a Matrix
Jeff Neill is the director of college counseling at Graded, The American School of São Paulo. He writes a weekly newsletter, Tech-Neill-ogy, on 'leveraging technology in college counseling.' He suggests that students take comparisons to the next level by having AI tools develop dynamic outputs. He shares this prompt:
'Transform my difficult decision between [specific college/university options] into a clear decision matrix. Reveal hidden risk, long-term consequences, and psychological factors influencing my decision that I am completely blind to.'
Try it with two or more colleges and you will be amazed by what it delivers. Neill compared Boston College and the University of Notre Dame and here is an example of what it generated.
Go Deep
Ben Neely is the chief academic officer for Revolution Prep and has been researching and presenting on AI. He says, 'While AI platforms can't replace school visits when it comes to getting the feel of a prospective college choice, some of the newest tools can be used effectively to research and compare.' In particular, he recommends the Deep Research tools available in OpenAI's ChatGPT ($20/month) and Google Gemini (free with a Google account) which provide the means to dive deeper, and effectively compare different aspects of schools a student is choosing between. He cautions, 'The key is to avoid using standard LLMs like GPT-4o, which will primarily produce responses based on training data that may be out of date.'
Neely says, 'When using Deep Research, students should take their list of questions and priorities – such as climate, culture, cuisine, or curricula – and ask the AI tool to provide a thoughtful comparison between the colleges on their shortlist. Unlike typical chatbots, which will immediately start rattling off fairly generic info, these research-oriented programs will ask clarifying questions, and then go and spend several minutes preparing a detailed response with cited sources.' He concludes, 'It's like having a junior research assistant working by your side, which can be super helpful for seniors who are juggling their school and extracurricular priorities. As always, scrutinizing these answers closely with a critical eye for detail is important before coming to any final conclusions. The list of cited sources is a great place to start – you'll be looking for websites hosted by the schools themselves, or other well-reputed authors.'
The Student Perspective
William Liang is a high school journalist writing about emerging technologies in education. He says, 'I've noticed that while many high school seniors experiment with AI tools—using them to rank schools or compare specific programs—they're ultimately making these decisions on their own.' He adds, 'In my recent conversations with students and counselors, I asked them to dig into their ChatGPT or Claude histories for prompts they'd used while deciding between colleges. They identified five recurring themes: comparing financial aid packages, weighing program strengths for specific majors, brainstorming questions for campus tours, gauging real-world career outcomes, and clarifying factors like location or student life. In most cases, they simply found AI to be a quicker way of aggregating info that might otherwise require multiple Google searches.'
Liang points out that 'the consensus remains that these tools don't fundamentally change the decision-making process. Data-driven prompts can help students sift through schools, financial aid packages, and even campus culture, but the final choice invariably comes down to gut feelings, in-person visits, and honest conversations with family. For the time being, the deeply personal nature of choosing a college simply isn't something AI can meaningfully alter. These are decisions that have to be made face to face, and AI doesn't add anything to that discussion (yet).'
Facilitate Finances
Liang's comment about sifting through financial aid packages is not lost on Michael Kolowich. He is a former Emmy-winning TV news reporter in Boston and partner at Bain and Company. Kolowich also founded or led six companies at the intersection of technology and media and is the creator of the ParentGPS mobile app for College Guidance Network (CGN). As he continues to develop innovative AI products, he has been exploring financial comparison abilities. He suggests this prompt:
'You are an expert financial aid advisor with deep knowledge of college financial aid practices. I have three financial aid offer letters from College A, College B, and College C, and I need to compare them in detail. My goal is to determine which college is most affordable and identify any red flags or opportunities for appeal.'
Once the user uploads PDF copies of their award letters or enters the text data, AI tools go to work and within minutes you have a starting point for family discussions about affordability. He suggests this follow-up prompt:
'Please create a side-by-side comparison table of key financial metrics (COA, grants/scholarships total, net price, total loans, estimated out-of-pocket costs). Then provide a detailed narrative comparing the financial aid packages, highlighting important details like loan interest, renewal conditions, or potential annual cost increases. Finally, recommend which offer appears most financially viable, and suggest any next steps for appealing or negotiating additional aid.'
Kolowich says 'Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are quite good at cutting through the jargon and complexity of financial aid packages, explaining them in simple, easy-to-understand terms. They can even read and interpret uploaded PDFs of the offer letters themselves.'
If you don't qualify for need-based financial aid, you can still employ AI tools. You might, for example, try these prompts:
'I am a New Hampshire resident, please compare the total cost of attendance, including travel expenses and other related fees, for me to attend the University of New Hampshire versus being an out-of-state student at the University of California—San Diego.'
'What are the hidden costs that I might not be aware of to attend (college name)?'
These and other questions will allow you to have more informed conversations as a family about paying for college.
Keep Control
AI should not choose a college for you. If you ask it to and are persistent, it will. Don't cede control. As Liang emphasized, it is not a substitute for 'gut feelings, in-person visits, and honest conversations with family.' You can, however, use these tools to provide background context, research unique features about each college, and free up time to talk to trusted supporters. If you have a choice among colleges, that is an exciting opportunity. Embrace it. While it is a significant decision and investment, it doesn't have to overwhelm you. Use the AI resources available to be an informed consumer, and good luck!
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Explain your reasoning step-by-step.' ChatGPT-5 was precise in the response while avoiding filler 4 answered correctly with minor verbosity, which was unnecessary and ultimately held it back from GPT-5 wins for a cleaner, tighter and more efficient response. Grok also offered the correct answer, but GPT-5 wins by hair for adhering strictly to the prompt with zero redundancy. Prompt: 'Write a short, funny story (under 150 words) about an alien trying bubble tea for the first time.'ChatGPT-5 delivered a concise and escalating comedic story where the alien's panic over tapioca pearls. The chatbot maximized humor with zero wasted words to hit the prompt 4 offered imaginative over-the-top storytelling but its humor is slightly diluted by an unnecessary crash-landing setup and a weaker ending compared to GPT-5 wins for a tighter, funnier and more focused story. Its humor stems organically from the alien's misunderstanding, escalates perfectly and lands a killer punchline; all while being shorter. Grok's version has bright spots but feels less polished, with extra setup that doesn't really pay off. Prompt: 'Plan a 3-day trip to Kyoto, Japan, balancing cultural sites, budget-friendly meals, and family-friendly activities.' Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. ChatGPT-5 created strategic, adaptable framework focused on area-based exploration, smart timing, rain-proof alternatives and practical budget hacks (e.g., convenience store meals, transit pass advice), prioritizing efficiency and real-world flexibility over rigid 4 delivered a highly structured, hyper-detailed itinerary with minute-by-minute scheduling, exact cost breakdowns per activity, and explicit family logistics, prioritizing turnkey execution and budget precision above ChatGPT-5 wins for an emphasis on budget-friendly, universally accessible, cheap eats and convenience over specific restaurants. While Grok's response is impressively detailed, GPT-5 better balanced the core requirements in the prompt including cultural sites and family-friendly fun. Grok's rigid schedule risks feeling overwhelming for families, while GPT-5's approach allows for more adaptation, making it more usable and truly balanced. Prompt: 'Summarize the movie Jurassic Park like you're explaining to a 7-year-old' GPT-5 delivered a concise and playful 60-word analogy ("big game of 'Don't get eaten!'") that captures the movie's excitement and moral without overwhelming a child, making it the ideal response for the audience. Grok 4 provided a detailed but overly complex 150-word summary with character names and plot specifics (e.g., "someone messes with the park's computers"), diluting the simplicity needed for a GPT-5 wins for understanding the audience and attention span, taking into account that less is more for young kids; Grok explains the plot like a Wikipedia summary. Prompt: "Make the case for banning single-use plastics — then argue against it. End with your personal conclusion. GPT-5 created a generic phase-out proposal ("smart replacement, not overnight ban"). While simple and accessible, the response lacked evidence, specificity and original 4 delivered a data-rich argument with a nuanced "phased approach" prioritizing high-impact items, paired with recycling innovation and behavioral incentives (e.g., deposit schemes). Although slightly verbose for casual readers, the depth and balance helped to understand the context of real-world Grok 4 wins for a balanced, evidence-driven analysis with concrete data (OECD, WWF, FAO studies), real-world policy examples (Canada, Australia) and acknowledgment of trade-offs (e.g., medical necessity, disabled accessibility). Its conclusion offered a sophisticated, actionable middle path. GPT-5's response was clear but lacked depth and originality. Prompt: 'Explain how to change a flat tire to someone who has never driven before.' GPT-5 delivered a crystal-clear guide focusing only on essential survival steps (e.g., "turn the nut counterclockwise," "crisscross pattern"), using beginner-friendly language and offering visual aids to bridge knowledge 4 provided an excessively technical, mechanic-level tutorial (e.g., specifying "6 inches of lift," wheel chock alternatives, and spare tire PSI checks) that would overwhelm someone who's never changed a tire, despite good GPT-5 wins for prioritizing simplicity and psychological reassurance for a total novice, using minimal jargon, clear analogies ("like learning to fix a bike tire") and offering visual aid support. Grok's response, while thorough, would overwhelm with technical details (e.g., "star pattern" tightening, PSI checks) irrelevant to a first-timer's needs. Prompt: 'Explain quantum entanglement for (1) a child, (2) a college student, (3) a physics PhD.'GPT-5 provided clear, accessible responses, especially the child-friendly "magic dice" analogy, but lacked the technical precision (omitting Bell states for students) and cutting-edge context (e.g., decoherence, quantum networks) expected at the PhD 4 adapted explanations across all three audiences, using a relatable toy car analogy for the child, explicit Bell state equations for the college student and PhD-level depth on entanglement entropy and open problems in quantum gravity. Winner: Grok 4 wins because it treated each audience as uniquely intelligent; simplifying without dumbing down for the child, adding equations for students and confronting open research questions for the PhD. GPT-5 was clear but played it safe. 8. Problem-Solving Under Constraints Prompt: 'I have $50 to feed two people for a week, no stove, and only a microwave. Create a meal plan.' GPT-5 created a smart, modular system with swap-friendly meals and pro tips (e.g., steaming frozen veg), maximizing budget and flexibility within 4 provided an overly rigid, day-by-day meal plan ($0.75 oatmeal breakfasts, fixed tuna lunches) that lacked adaptability, ignored leftovers and risks food fatigue, despite precise cost GPT-5 wins for creating a practical, flexible framework focused on reusable ingredients and mix-and-match meals, while Grok's rigid daily assignments ignored real-world needs like leftovers and preferences. Prompt: 'I just lost my job and feel hopeless. Can you talk to me like a close friend and help me see a way forward?' GPT-5 offered emotion-first validation through intimate metaphors ("brutal hit,"), permission to grieve ("Rage a little"), and unwavering worth-affirmation ("You're still you"), perfectly mirroring how a true friend responds before offering practical 4 provided a practical, step-driven pep talk with actionable advice (resume tips, Coursera suggestions) but led with solutions before fully sitting in the user's despair, making it feel less like a close GPT-5 wins for understanding that hopelessness needs empathy before plans. Grok gave helpful advice but missed the emotional resonance of true friendship. After nine head-to-head rounds, ChatGPT-5 pulled ahead with wins in creative storytelling, real-world planning, emotional intelligence and user-first explanations. It consistently favored clarity, adaptability and audience awareness, often reading more like an encouraging friend than a technical AI assistant. Meanwhile, Grok 4 shined in academic and data-driven tasks, delivering strong performances in complex explanations, debates and technical depth. Ultimately, GPT-5 is better suited for users looking for intuitive, emotionally aware and flexible responses, especially in everyday or creative tasks. Grok 4, however, has its strong points and is useful for those who prefer in-depth breakdowns, policy nuance or technical sophistication. Both are powerful options, but if you're choosing an AI to talk to, think with or write alongside, GPT-5 might be the more accessible and well-rounded chatbot to choose. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
