In the dynamic landscape of enrollment and financial aid, professionals are constantly seeking innovative tools to streamline their work and uncover valuable insights. During my recent presentation at the AISAP Annual Institute in La Jolla, CA, I had the opportunity to share insights on how ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model, can revolutionize the work of enrollment and financial aid professionals. One of the most rewarding aspects of delivering the presentation was the enthusiastic response from attendees. Many approached me during the conference to express their eagerness to start using ChatGPT when they return to their schools. I am sharing this information with you today so more professionals can benefit from the powerful tool that is Chat GPT.
I am going to continue to proselytize the value of AI in our workplaces because it is such a game-changing technology innovation. In this blog I am including some of the resources I shared during my presentation, including examples of specific prompts that you can use in your work.
Prompts and Persona-Driven Conversations
My presentation focused on how to get past the learning curve of spreadsheets, so the content was very data-oriented. To showcase the practical application of ChatGPT, I introduced the audience to this prompt that encouraged persona-driven conversations:
You are a data analytics consultant who specializes in pulling out key data insights through data visualizations. I am an admission director at a private K12 school. I am looking to build 5 to 7 data reports to present to the Board of my school in my end-of-year summary. The board is mission driven and wants insights. Here are 4 key outcomes from our admission season: [outcome 1], [outcome 2],[outcome 3], [outcome 4]. I am going to ask you for an outline of my board presentation including recommendations of data visualizations. But before I ask, do you have any questions for me?
Importance of Setting the Personas
Let’s break-down some of the important elements of this prompt. By defining the roles of a data analytics consultant and an admission director at a private K12 school in this conversation, you set the tone and the sophistication level of ChatGPT insights and recommendations.
Importance of Asking Questions
A vital aspect of the prompt when using ChatGPT is to ask clarifying questions before it delivers the response. By allowing the AI model to seek additional information, you can help ensure accurate and contextually relevant insights. I have also found that the questions that ChatGPT asks helps me to really think about the points that I want to focus on in my presentation. Using this technique can really help increase the effectiveness of the tool.
Valuable Resource: Google Cheat Sheet and ChatGPT Prompts
If you have not yet created a ChatGPT account, you can do so for free here. If you are interested in more ChatGPT prompts specifically for enrollment professionals, please refer to this Google Cheat Sheet I created for the AISAP session featuring helpful spreadsheet tips. Within this resource, you will find a dedicated worksheet tab offering a range of example ChatGPT prompts. I hope that for those of you who have not yet ventured into the world of AI chat that these prompts will help get you started.
