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

HubSpot’s AI is moving quickly. Here’s how to make the most of it.

HubSpot has been adding to its AI tools at pace this year, and the announcements at UNBOUND 2026 give admissions and marketing teams even more ways to save time on routine work. Here’s what’s new and what it means for your institution.

Agent Hub and Agent Builder - launched in July, Agent Hub gives your team one place to see and manage every AI agent in your portal. Agent Builder lets you create your own agents by describing what you need in plain language, using the data already in your CRM.
The new Breeze Assistant - announced at UNBOUND, it now does more than answer questions. Tell it what you need, and it brings in the right agents to deliver reports, campaign plans and more, all based on your CRM.
Self-updating Smart CRM - calls, emails and meetings can now be captured and synced automatically, so your records stay up to date with less manual input.
Context Home - a new score showing how complete the information behind HubSpot’s AI is, and where the gaps are, so you know exactly what to improve.

If you set up HubSpot a year or two ago and haven’t revisited AI since, there’s likely more available to you than you realise. Many of these features are already in your subscription. They just need setting up in a way that works for your institution.

AI in practice: where it makes a difference

When AI is set up around your real admissions journey, it takes care of the routine work and gives your team more time for the conversations that matter. Here’s how that plays out day to day.

Less manual admin - AI agents can sort enquiries, answer common questions and track engagement, so your team isn’t doing it all by hand.
More relevant communication - content and recommendations can reflect how families and applicants engage with your website and emails.
More applications completed - timely nudges help keep families and applicants moving forward, supporting your enrolment goals.
More time for real conversations - with routine tasks covered, your team can focus on the personal conversations that help families decide.

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

What gets in the way, and how to get past it

Getting the most from AI isn’t about effort or ability. Admissions and marketing teams are some of the hardest-working people in education. What usually holds things back is practical, and each one has a clear fix.

Time - busy admissions cycles leave little room to explore new features properly, so it helps to focus on one or two that will save the most time first.
Knowing where to start - not every agent is built with education in mind, so it’s worth choosing the ones that fit your admissions process before switching anything on.
Default settings - agents switched on straight out of the box won’t reflect how your process works, so a little setup goes a long way.
CRM data - AI can only work with the information it’s given, so incomplete or duplicated records will limit everything built on top.

If data is your biggest concern, that’s the best place to start. 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.

What using AI well actually looks like

When AI is set up around your real admissions journey, the difference is incredible. Here's 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.

The HubGem AI Masterclass: get your team confident with AI in six weeks.

If time and knowing where to start are what’s holding your team back, our AI Masterclass gives you both the structure and the support. It’s delivered by our AI Lead, Olly Featherstone, who gets to know how your team works and tailors each session to what you want to achieve.

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

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.

For this October only, we're offering the AI Masterclass at a reduced price of £1,100 + VAT (usually £1,275) when you book by Friday, 30th October 2026. Book your place today and give your team some time back.

Who is the AI Masterclass for?

The masterclass works well for:

Existing HubSpot users - schools, colleges, universities and training providers looking for a standalone way to get more from AI.
Education teams new to HubSpot - add the masterclass to your onboarding, or choose our Enhance or Elevate packages where it’s already included
Teams who have tried AI already - but don’t yet feel confident it’s set up in the right way for them.

Your next step with HubSpot AI.

Getting AI right doesn’t mean starting from scratch. It starts with faster, more personal replies to every family and applicant who gets in touch. Our six-week AI Masterclass helps your team build that confidence step by step, shaping AI around the admissions process you already have.

Not ready to book just yet? Browse our blogs, where you’ll find plenty of practical tips and ideas for getting more from HubSpot’s AI.

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.