AI is now the First Campus Visit

A growing share of prospective students no longer begin their college search on institutional websites or even through traditional search. They are starting inside AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity, asking direct questions about fit, majors, cost, outcomes, and campus experience. Those answers function like a first campus visit, a first info session, and a first conversation with a counselor all at once. By the time a student lands on an admissions page, they often already have a shortlist in mind, and AI played a role in forming it.

Why This Matters Now

AI is shaping student shortlists today, and the schools that act first will define the narrative.

Higher ed is tightening fast: fewer traditional-age students in many regions, more competition for attention, and more value-driven decision making. At the same time, AI answer engines are shaping shortlists before students ever reach your admissions pages, and those engines often rely on whatever narrative is easiest to find and repeat. The institutions that act now will shape how they’re described and recommended, while others fall behind. That’s why Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is becoming a new core enrollment discipline, and why Optivara exists to show how AI describes your institution today and give you a measurable plan to improve what students see next, before competitors lock in the advantage.

• See the questions that drive consideration and how AI engines answer them about your school.
• Understand what’s influencing the story (sources, citations, and gaps that shape visibility and sentiment).
• Take action with a GEO roadmap that connects content, authority, and website readiness to enrollment outcomes.