Is your admissions team falling behind on AI? How to close the gap this cycle

The gap is widening

Picture two admissions teams during open day season. One manually sorts enquiries, repeats answers and sends late, generic follow-ups. The other uses AI to help handle routine questions and personalise replies, freeing time for tours, parent calls and scholarship discussions.

Used well, AI can mean faster responses and more time for families. This isn’t about adding pressure: it’s about taking practical steps now, before the gap widens next admissions cycle.

HubSpot's AI is moving faster than most teams can keep up with

If you feel like HubSpot's AI features change every time you log in, you are not imagining it.

• Custom assistants were retired in July and replaced with Breeze projects. Even teams who adopted AI early now need to re-learn how things work.
• The Fall 2026 Spotlight introduced NEW Breeze Assistant, which can help automate tasks based on what is already in your CRM, alongside a new Smart CRM that captures and syncs data automatically.

Here is the key takeaway: if you set up HubSpot a year or two ago and have not revisited AI since, your portal is already behind what is available to you. The features are sitting in your subscription. They just need setting up in a way that works for your institution.

What falling behind looks like in admissions and marketing

Falling behind rarely announces itself. It shows up in small, everyday frustrations that add up over a busy term:

• Enquiries left unsorted while staff triage them by hand
• The same parent questions answered manually dozens of times a week
• Generic follow-up emails going out while competitors send personalised ones
• Applicant engagement data sitting in HubSpot that nobody has time to act on
• AI features included in your subscription that nobody is using

If a few of these feel familiar, you are in good company. Most of the education teams we speak to recognise at least two or three.

What using AI well actually looks like

When AI is set up around your real admissions journey, the difference is incredible. Here is what it looks like in practice:

• Agents handling the routine work, such as sorting enquiries, answering common questions and tracking applicant engagement
• Targeted content and recommendations based on how prospective parents and students behave on your site and in your emails
• Higher application completion rates, with timely nudges that keep families moving and support your enrolment goals
• Teams freed up for meaningful conversations, which are the moments that actually convert families

The result is less time on admin, less stress at peak times, and a more personal experience for every family who enquires.

Why most teams don't get there on their own

None of this is about effort or ability. Admissions and marketing teams are some of the hardest-working people in education. The barriers are usually practical:

• Lack of time. Busy admissions cycles leave little room to explore new features properly.
• Knowing where to start. It is hard to tell which agents are relevant to education and which are built for other industries.
• Out-of-the-box setups. Agents switched on with default settings rarely reflect how your process actually works.
• Messy CRM data. AI can only work with what it is given. Incomplete or duplicated records limit everything built on top.

 If data concerns you most, start there. Our HubSpot portal audit gives you a clear picture of where your data stands and what to fix first, so your AI has solid foundations to build on.

How the AI Masterclass helps

Our six-week AI Masterclass helps your team use HubSpot’s AI confidently, with hands-on sessions tailored to your school or college.

• Week 1: Process mapping - Identify where AI could save time or improve insights.
• Week 2: Breeze Assistant - Practise drafting, summarising and finding CRM information.
• Week 3: Agents - Explore and configure agents for routine admissions tasks.
• Week 4: AI for marketers -  Explore answer engine optimisation (AEO), content remix and AI lead scoring.
• Week 5: AI for admissions - Get hands-on with smart properties, Prospecting Agent and AI-powered reporting.
• Week 6: Agentic workflows -  Build AI into your team’s everyday processes.

You’ll also have a shared space for questions between sessions and guidance on HubSpot’s AI models and data privacy. Enquire about the AI Masterclass to explore what it could do for your team.

Who it's for

The masterclass works well for:

• Existing HubSpot education users looking for a standalone way to get more from AI
• Schools new to HubSpot, alongside Full Works or Enterprise onboarding, so AI is built in from day one
• Teams who have dabbled with AI but don't feel confident it is set up properly

Closing the gap, one cycle at a time

 Closing the AI gap begins with quicker, more personalised communication for families.  Our six-week Masterclass helps your team build confidence and shape AI around your admissions workflows, without a huge overhaul.

Want to explore first? Browse our AI blog series for practical ideas you can use now.

FAQs

Do we need to be advanced HubSpot users to benefit from the AI Masterclass?

Not at all. The masterclass is designed for education teams at every stage, from those just getting started with HubSpot to teams who have already experimented with AI and want more confidence.

We set up AI features last year. Do we still need to revisit them?

Most likely, yes. HubSpot retired custom assistants in July and replaced them with Breeze projects, and the Fall 2026 Spotlight introduced a suite of new features and capabilities. Setups from even a year ago are likely missing what is now available.

What if our CRM data isn't in great shape?

That is really common, and it is worth addressing early because AI relies on good data. A HubSpot portal audit is a great first step, and we can help you prioritise fixes alongside your AI setup.

Every school's AI journey looks a little different, and we'd love to help you shape yours.

Book an exploratory call with the HubGem team and let's talk about where AI could save your team time this admissions cycle.