August 20, 2024 • 19 mins
In this podcast, EALA talk with Julia Dixon, the founder and CEO of ESAI, an AI platform aimed at making higher education and professional opportunities accessible for all students. Listen in as they discuss the complexities and inaccessibility of the admissions process, and how ESAI is trying to help level the playing field in higher education admissions by offering tailored advice and breaking the process into manageable steps. To learn more, visit their website at esai.ai
Access the full podcast transcript at: https://bit.ly/3M6E6J1
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hi, this is Aurora from the Educating All Learners Alliance,
and today we're speaking to Julia Dixon for a deep dive with SAI.
SAI is an AI platform with the mission to make higher education and professional
opportunities more accessible for students of all backgrounds and resources.
Joining us today is Julia Dixon. She's the founder and CEO of SAI,
(00:23):
and as a former college advisor herself, Julia saw firsthand how inaccessible
admission assistance had become.
She channeled her background in marketing and admissions to create SAI and build
a community of over 8 million student viewers on TikTok around the idea that
higher education should be accessible for all.
I'm so excited to have you here today, Julia. Thanks for joining us.
(00:44):
Thank you, Aurora. I'm super happy to be here.
Just from the blurb, the intro, it's so exciting what you're doing, but let's dive deeper.
Tell our listeners more about your organization and the work that you do.
Of course. So as you mentioned, I myself used to be a college advisor,
so I really saw how difficult it had become for any student and their families
(01:05):
to navigate what is a really complex process.
The admissions landscape right now is really chaotic.
We're seeing things like confusing test optional policies, declining acceptance
rates across the board, the end of affirmative action.
There's just a lot up in the air for any kind of student or family to navigate in admissions.
And it becomes especially hard if, you know, you're not able to get outside
(01:29):
support from someone like a
specialized tutor or advisor, which can run often upward of $300 an hour.
So I saw that this kind of support can be majorly helpful in aiding students
and families, but also really out of reach for most.
And that's compounded by the fact that at the high school level,
the average student to counselor ratio is nearly 400 to one.
(01:51):
Wow. Meeting students, just getting that kind of individualized support from
counselors at their schools, even, you know, if they are lucky to have great counselors.
So I really saw a need to create something that would help students with really
different kinds of stories, different kinds of resources and sort of meet them
where they're at. And that's what we aim to do with SAI.
Let's dig a little deeper into that. You mentioned, you know,
(02:13):
students with different stories, students from all different backgrounds.
Tell me a little bit more about how might this impact students with disabilities
or learning differences? Yeah, definitely.
So what we do and our platform that's different from maybe just a generalized
AI chatbot that you could ask questions to or an information portal like a blog
or an ebook that could give you all the information is that we really try to
(02:35):
customize our advice to who you are and where you're at in the process.
So our platform consists of a suite of micro tools that help with very specific
parts of the process as you need them.
So college applications involve a lot of work, everything from picking the right
program for you and finding which major in school you actually want to apply
to and matches your skills, your goals, your budget, etc.
(02:58):
Et cetera, to coming up with essay topics and going through that very complex
college essay support, all the way down to finding financial resources that
are going to help you pay for college and get through the whole experience.
So we have tools that help with very specific parts of the puzzle as you need them.
And for students with disabilities, this can make the process a lot less overwhelming.
(03:19):
If you're feeling overwhelmed by how many steps there are, we'll really break
it down and help you with one piece at a time.
So essentially, Actually, SAI really breaks up this complex process into more
manageable chunks, which can help students who are maybe feeling overwhelmed, need it broken down.
We definitely help with that. We can also help students with telling their specific
(03:39):
strengths that they have, even if those look really different from other types of student strengths.
So maybe say you have a learning disability and you don't have the highest grades
or the highest test scores, but you really excel in specific extracurriculars
or maybe specific subjects.
We can ask you only the questions that we need and help you match that story
to the school you're trying to go to or to a specific goal that you have when
(04:00):
it comes to a major or career.
And we can help you weave the best story for you, help you frame that experience
of having a disability in a way that you both feel good about and helps tell your unique story.
Basically, our whole goal is it's your story. Make it work for you.
We're going to figure out how to put your best story forward and frame things
like hardships, disabilities, challenges you have in a way that actually tells
(04:22):
a better story and just makes you, you know, an even better candidate based
on everything that you've overcome and you've achieved.
So that's really what we try to do with our narrative building tools at SAI.
It is differentiated learning, essentially, but for everybody, right?
It's a tool that, you know, instinctually differentiates for every learner. Yeah, exactly.
One student, you know, might really lean into a specific hobby they have and
(04:46):
another one might lean more into, you know, their academic success.
There's no wrong answer.
We really want to help you channel what makes you unique and help you figure
out how to frame that story based on what you want to do. So it's definitely
a choose your own adventure.
And we use our proprietary coaching method to help you get there and really
achieve the path that you want to go down.
It sounds like a lot of things are working well, but, you know,
(05:08):
what are some challenges that come up in this work?
Because, you know, there's a lot going on right now in the world of education.
So, yeah, what would you say is the biggest challenge that comes up?
Yeah, I mean, we're trying to make the whole admissions landscape feel less
daunting and less challenging.
And a way we've been able to do that is with emerging technology,
namely artificial intelligence.
And I am definitely a believer in AI being a tool that could be used for good,
(05:33):
being a tool that is so customizable and can help different kinds of students.
But that said, it's not perfect.
And there's still, I think, a lot of misunderstanding and stigma around the use of AI.
And some of it's definitely warranted. AI needs to be used in an ethical way
and it needs to be very closely monitored for things like bias,
for things like student privacy.
Just for things like quality and output when it comes to the accuracy of what AI is telling you.
(05:59):
It's already pretty darn good, I think, especially in the way that we fine tune
our own models and check for accuracy and bias.
We really only try to put the best quality information in front of our students.
But that said, it's still rapidly improving and it's not perfect.
So we also put out a lot of things like AI ethical guidelines right at the top
(06:19):
of our tools, but also in our free AI trainings that we offer for students,
parents and counselors. Yeah.
I think it's largely the responsibility of companies and builders like myself
to make sure that AI is being implemented ethically.
But there also are some guidelines that students and teachers and parents have to implement as well.
Our kind of golden rule is our AI tools will never generate content that you
(06:42):
should submit as a final product.
So we're never going to write an entire essay for you that you could just turn in.
That would obviously not be an ethical use of AI in the same way your tutor
shouldn't write your entire essay for you and you shouldn't submit it.
But what we can do is similar to how a human tutor would sit down with you and
help you, you know, brainstorm ideas and make unique connections between your
story and what you want to do or where you want to go.
(07:05):
Outline and edit for things like vocabulary and clarity of voice and diverse sense and structures.
All these things that a human tutor would do, AI is really good at and it can
do it for a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time.
So I think finding that line between how AI is providing these kinds of historically
inaccessible services, but also never outsourcing student writing or ideas is really important.
(07:26):
It's something we think a lot about. And it's something we have to put in our
messaging to families and schools out there who maybe are a little more skeptical
of AI or do think that it's similar to cheating in a way that, frankly,
a lot of people viewed the internet and search engines before they understood
how it would be used ethically as well.
So I think it's a challenge sometimes to get everyone on the same page.
(07:47):
And obviously, as an organization, we're always thinking about how we use AI ethically as well.
But I do think even in just the last few months, people's attitudes have really kind of come around.
More people are using AI in their personal life. They understand that it's not
perfect, but that it can be largely helpful.
And so I think we'll keep seeing things move in that direction while also having
(08:08):
to be very careful about how we use the technology ourselves. Yeah.
Yeah, it's a balance. And it's a balance. It's an ongoing debate.
But I love this idea of it's not generating the text or the essay.
It's brainstorming, coaching, guiding.
I love that. Yeah, definitely. What are some bright spots?
Give us an example of a success story. Yeah, I mean, my favorite examples are
(08:31):
seeing how very different kinds of students use the platform in really different
ways, but that work out for them.
So we work with a lot of student athletes, for example, who maybe really struggle
how to figure out how to tell their story of sports and athletic accomplishments
in the lens of, you know, an academic or professional setting.
So how can we pull out transferable skills for them?
(08:53):
Maybe they're not pursuing that sport after high school, but it's really been
like part of their journey so far.
We can help them pull out that story in a way that still shows how they're a
leader, how they're a collaborator, or, you know, how they have a newfound passion
for a specific mission that was really made clear to them through the journey of their sport.
Sure. So that's one example of a type of student that has really found a unique
(09:15):
way to tell their story on our platform.
We also work with a lot of kids who were very confused by the affirmative action ruling last year.
They weren't sure how, if or how, they were allowed to talk about things like
race and ethnicity or sexual orientation or really anything core to their identity. Yeah, wow.
Sure, if that was still something you're allowed to talk about and.
(09:36):
The short answer it is, it's not something you'll probably check on a form like a box anymore.
But it is still something if it's core to who you are, or what you want to do
or your experience today that you can and should talk about.
And so SAI can really help you tell the story of your identity through things like lived experience.
And we can help you figure out like, what is it about this identity that has shaped who you are?
(09:57):
And how might that inform the kind of student or professional you want to be
in the future. So we can really help students kind of weave out a larger story
there versus just saying, you know, this is what I am or this is how I feel.
And then I'm going to check that box, which is obviously a more,
more powerful way to tell that story anyway. way.
And again, we just work with students with a wide range of mixed,
(10:17):
you know, some students feel that they are stronger in these kind of subjects
than other kind of subjects.
And we can help them, you know, lean into what they are strong at versus feeling
like they have to compensate for something else.
Students who were able to uncover
really specific program types that they just didn't even know about.
Probably some of my favorite feedback we've gotten from students are I ended
up enrolling in a school or in a program within a school that I truly had never
(10:40):
heard of until, let's say, I put it in front of me.
And if we can introduce students to programs that really align with what they
love or what they want to do or their budget or help them stay in an area they
want to be in, that's a really exciting use case for me because I think it's so overwhelming.
There's so many options out there and a lot of students just don't know where
to start. So that's quite a few different kinds of experiences.
(11:04):
But the point being, we really do try to meet students with where they are and
what kind of student they are.
And to me, you know, the more flexible we can be working with different kinds
of students, the more successful of a platform that we've become.
That's a great example of like, you know, students not even knowing that something
existed, but it's like right up there. It's perfect for them.
(11:26):
Like, yeah, I think that sometimes that's a privilege that families have.
If you're from a family who have all gone to college, right?
You probably have more of a background in college types and programs.
But if maybe you're the first generation in your family going to college,
where do you begin with this search? And so that's kind of where you folks come in.
It's so true. And so many students just default to, oh, you know,
(11:50):
my cousin went here, so I'm going to apply here.
Or like even this TV character I love went to this school, so that's where I want to go. Yeah.
Like that's not necessarily bad, but like let's expand your options to like,
what do you actually want to do?
And what are your, you know, restraints and long-term goals and all these things.
So we can kind of make a more cohesive picture of what we should recommend.
(12:12):
And if you do have your heart set on one place, we can help you reach that goal too.
Yeah. Want to give students more information based on their unique situation.
What would you say are some lessons learned along the way? Big takeaways or
had I known then what I know now?
Yeah, when we first launched as a platform last year, we're still a very new organization.
(12:35):
We started a bit more amorphous. We had this kind of one mostly chat-based tool
that did very similar things to what our platform still does,
essay support, program discovery, all of the above.
But it felt very overwhelming. And I think this is what admissions is so scary
to so many kids and families is there's so many parts involved.
(12:56):
It's really a months to years long process from figuring out all the schools you want to apply to.
And even before then, maybe figuring out what you might be interested in in
terms of types of programs or long term career goals, all the way down to financial resources.
And how am I going to pay for this? I mean, that's a long journey.
And it's not easy to just use one amorphous tool to navigate all of that.
(13:18):
So I think our first learning was to really break it up and why one of the most
positive pieces of feedback We've gotten from students is are you made it feel
so much manageable more manageable,
you know I I only wanted to work on my college essay right now and you had a
tool just for that and then you had a separate tool just for supplemental essays
then you had a separate tool just for helping me with my conclusion and so like
(13:38):
the more we can break it up and just say if today I.
You used one tool and every time a student uses one of our tools, they unlock a badge.
So we try to gamify the process. Students can share those badges on social media.
So we try to make the whole thing feel more like a bit of a game and a bit of
a social journey. You can share your progress.
You can share your unique school matches and stories that the AI recommends. Oh, I love that.
(14:02):
Yeah. So if it feels something more native to how Gen Z actually uses the internet
and thinks about these kinds of things,
then they're more likely to want to start earlier, to want to be more engaged,
and then ultimately, hopefully, end up with a program that, you know,
is a better fit for them and was something that they were hoping to get into and achieve.
(14:23):
So I'd say our biggest learnings based on your question are breaking it up into
more manageable pieces was the biggest change we made about our new platform launch this year.
And also just making an experience that feels less like a tech platform that,
you know, your parents or teachers made you sign up for and something that feels
a little more authentic to how teenagers use the internet,
(14:46):
how they share with kids, with other kids,
how they gamify the experience a bit.
Those are two of the biggest learnings we had in the last year.
Some people might say there's, you know, other bigger issues of the world of education.
So why this? Why is this so important? Why this? Why now? Now,
what would you kind of say to that?
There's definitely a lot of things to address in the world of education,
(15:10):
and I certainly don't claim to have the answers to most of them.
But in this space, which I saw a lot firsthand when it comes to getting into
college, but frankly, post-secondary options as a whole, whether that's direct-to-workforce, community college,
trade school, whatever it is, I really saw a need when it comes to students
just not knowing where to even start and what they even want to do.
(15:34):
And as I sort of mentioned, just kind of defaulting to something that their
parents said or their friends are doing. And I really think.
That it can sort of set you up for, you know, maybe the wrong path when it comes
to getting yourself maybe into debt that you didn't necessarily want or need
to go into or choosing a program that you later realize,
(15:54):
you know, you're going to have to get a different degree in order to pursue,
you know, maybe it's nursing or law, whatever it is, you realize,
I wish I had known that a little earlier, so I didn't have to repeat certain
classes or school, you know, programs, etc.
So I think it's such a big need. And as I mentioned, you know,
specifically, what I saw as an advisor is that the costs were so prohibitive
(16:17):
when it comes to getting this kind of individualized support.
It's just really unfair.
And it makes higher education very elitist.
It's still Yeah, you know, the New York Times just did a study about how being
wealthy is still like the number one indicator of a student's success when it
comes to college admissions,
because there are so many ways that can benefit you, whether it is,
(16:38):
you know, an individual college advisor or other connections to a university, et cetera.
So whatever it is, I just think it's hugely important that every student at
least gets the opportunity to find what the right program is for them and then
has the best ability to stand out and,
you know, be as likely as any other student to be admitted based on,
you know, their unique story and accomplishments.
(16:58):
So that's really the origin there. And I also just think from a broader perspective.
Personal branding and storytelling is one one of the most important soft skills
for teenagers to develop right now, especially in this sort of AI forward world.
We can automate a lot of things, but we can't really automate our own stories
and all of our accomplishments.
(17:18):
So if we can help you just put some of those pieces together and tell a more
cohesive story about yourself and who you are and how all your different accomplishments
come together in a way to tell that story, that'll help you not only in your
college admissions journey, but throughout the rest of your life.
So that's kind of the big picture stuff that we think about.
How could we, you know, help you develop your story in this kind of first time
(17:40):
most students are required to think about themselves in this big picture way.
And then, you know, ideally, we can help you after that as well.
So I think it's already a very important issue that's just going to become even more important.
Yeah, like there's applications for this even after the college admission process,
like it's building that soft skill.
Exactly. I love that. Once you get into college, how can we keep developing
(18:03):
your story to help you, you know, get into that competitive program at school
or get that first internship or find the right career path.
Yeah. I think we really, as a team, just have a passion for helping students,
find those unique connections across what is, for all of us,
like a very wide range of activities and interests and accomplishments and helping
(18:23):
you kind of narrow in a little bit to really achieve your goals.
And that's what we want to help you do.
So how can folks access this or how can folks get involved?
You know, what's what's kind of the next step for listeners if they're like, I'm on in?
How do I do this? Yeah, of course. The most direct way would be to go to our website.
It's SAI.AI, E-S-A-I.AI. But if you're just kind of getting started and want
(18:48):
to learn more about the college admissions process or about personal branding,
we have a big community on TikTok.
It's at SAI underscore toolkit.
Same name on Instagram as well. And we also put out a blog and free AI trainings,
all of which talk about ethical use of AI in the admissions process.
Our blog talks about a wide range of topics related to the admissions process
(19:11):
and artificial intelligence and lots of the things we talked about today.
And all of that is free through our website as well. Great.
It's really, really interesting, really exciting. And I'm grateful to have you
in the ELAverse, the ELA extended universe.
Me too. It was great chatting with you today, Julia. Thank you so much.
Yeah, thank you. This was really awesome and hope more students will come check us out.
(19:33):
Well, that's it for us today, folks. Thank you to Julia Dixon.
And to learn more, check out their website at esai.ai.
I'm Aurora from ELA, and this was a deep dive with SAI.
Music.
Hi, this is Aurora from the Educating All Learners Alliance,
and today we're speaking to Julia Dixon for a deep dive with SAI.
SAI is an AI platform with the mission to make higher education and professional
opportunities more accessible for students of all backgrounds and resources.
Joining us today is Julia Dixon. She's the founder and CEO of SAI,
(00:23):
and as a former college advisor herself, Julia saw firsthand how inaccessible
admission assistance had become.
She channeled her background in marketing and admissions to create SAI and build
a community of over 8 million student viewers on TikTok around the idea that
higher education should be accessible for all.
I'm so excited to have you here today, Julia. Thanks for joining us.
(00:44):
Thank you, Aurora. I'm super happy to be here.
Just from the blurb, the intro, it's so exciting what you're doing, but let's dive deeper.
Tell our listeners more about your organization and the work that you do.
Of course. So as you mentioned, I myself used to be a college advisor,
so I really saw how difficult it had become for any student and their families
(01:05):
to navigate what is a really complex process.
The admissions landscape right now is really chaotic.
We're seeing things like confusing test optional policies, declining acceptance
rates across the board, the end of affirmative action.
There's just a lot up in the air for any kind of student or family to navigate in admissions.
And it becomes especially hard if, you know, you're not able to get outside
(01:29):
support from someone like a
specialized tutor or advisor, which can run often upward of $300 an hour.
So I saw that this kind of support can be majorly helpful in aiding students
and families, but also really out of reach for most.
And that's compounded by the fact that at the high school level,
the average student to counselor ratio is nearly 400 to one.
(01:51):
Wow. Meeting students, just getting that kind of individualized support from
counselors at their schools, even, you know, if they are lucky to have great counselors.
So I really saw a need to create something that would help students with really
different kinds of stories, different kinds of resources and sort of meet them
where they're at. And that's what we aim to do with SAI.
Let's dig a little deeper into that. You mentioned, you know,
(02:13):
students with different stories, students from all different backgrounds.
Tell me a little bit more about how might this impact students with disabilities
or learning differences? Yeah, definitely.
So what we do and our platform that's different from maybe just a generalized
AI chatbot that you could ask questions to or an information portal like a blog
or an ebook that could give you all the information is that we really try to
(02:35):
customize our advice to who you are and where you're at in the process.
So our platform consists of a suite of micro tools that help with very specific
parts of the process as you need them.
So college applications involve a lot of work, everything from picking the right
program for you and finding which major in school you actually want to apply
to and matches your skills, your goals, your budget, etc.
(02:58):
Et cetera, to coming up with essay topics and going through that very complex
college essay support, all the way down to finding financial resources that
are going to help you pay for college and get through the whole experience.
So we have tools that help with very specific parts of the puzzle as you need them.
And for students with disabilities, this can make the process a lot less overwhelming.
(03:19):
If you're feeling overwhelmed by how many steps there are, we'll really break
it down and help you with one piece at a time.
So essentially, Actually, SAI really breaks up this complex process into more
manageable chunks, which can help students who are maybe feeling overwhelmed, need it broken down.
We definitely help with that. We can also help students with telling their specific
(03:39):
strengths that they have, even if those look really different from other types of student strengths.
So maybe say you have a learning disability and you don't have the highest grades
or the highest test scores, but you really excel in specific extracurriculars
or maybe specific subjects.
We can ask you only the questions that we need and help you match that story
to the school you're trying to go to or to a specific goal that you have when
(04:00):
it comes to a major or career.
And we can help you weave the best story for you, help you frame that experience
of having a disability in a way that you both feel good about and helps tell your unique story.
Basically, our whole goal is it's your story. Make it work for you.
We're going to figure out how to put your best story forward and frame things
like hardships, disabilities, challenges you have in a way that actually tells
(04:22):
a better story and just makes you, you know, an even better candidate based
on everything that you've overcome and you've achieved.
So that's really what we try to do with our narrative building tools at SAI.
It is differentiated learning, essentially, but for everybody, right?
It's a tool that, you know, instinctually differentiates for every learner. Yeah, exactly.
One student, you know, might really lean into a specific hobby they have and
(04:46):
another one might lean more into, you know, their academic success.
There's no wrong answer.
We really want to help you channel what makes you unique and help you figure
out how to frame that story based on what you want to do. So it's definitely
a choose your own adventure.
And we use our proprietary coaching method to help you get there and really
achieve the path that you want to go down.
It sounds like a lot of things are working well, but, you know,
(05:08):
what are some challenges that come up in this work?
Because, you know, there's a lot going on right now in the world of education.
So, yeah, what would you say is the biggest challenge that comes up?
Yeah, I mean, we're trying to make the whole admissions landscape feel less
daunting and less challenging.
And a way we've been able to do that is with emerging technology,
namely artificial intelligence.
And I am definitely a believer in AI being a tool that could be used for good,
(05:33):
being a tool that is so customizable and can help different kinds of students.
But that said, it's not perfect.
And there's still, I think, a lot of misunderstanding and stigma around the use of AI.
And some of it's definitely warranted. AI needs to be used in an ethical way
and it needs to be very closely monitored for things like bias,
for things like student privacy.
Just for things like quality and output when it comes to the accuracy of what AI is telling you.
(05:59):
It's already pretty darn good, I think, especially in the way that we fine tune
our own models and check for accuracy and bias.
We really only try to put the best quality information in front of our students.
But that said, it's still rapidly improving and it's not perfect.
So we also put out a lot of things like AI ethical guidelines right at the top
(06:19):
of our tools, but also in our free AI trainings that we offer for students,
parents and counselors. Yeah.
I think it's largely the responsibility of companies and builders like myself
to make sure that AI is being implemented ethically.
But there also are some guidelines that students and teachers and parents have to implement as well.
Our kind of golden rule is our AI tools will never generate content that you
(06:42):
should submit as a final product.
So we're never going to write an entire essay for you that you could just turn in.
That would obviously not be an ethical use of AI in the same way your tutor
shouldn't write your entire essay for you and you shouldn't submit it.
But what we can do is similar to how a human tutor would sit down with you and
help you, you know, brainstorm ideas and make unique connections between your
story and what you want to do or where you want to go.
(07:05):
Outline and edit for things like vocabulary and clarity of voice and diverse sense and structures.
All these things that a human tutor would do, AI is really good at and it can
do it for a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time.
So I think finding that line between how AI is providing these kinds of historically
inaccessible services, but also never outsourcing student writing or ideas is really important.
(07:26):
It's something we think a lot about. And it's something we have to put in our
messaging to families and schools out there who maybe are a little more skeptical
of AI or do think that it's similar to cheating in a way that, frankly,
a lot of people viewed the internet and search engines before they understood
how it would be used ethically as well.
So I think it's a challenge sometimes to get everyone on the same page.
(07:47):
And obviously, as an organization, we're always thinking about how we use AI ethically as well.
But I do think even in just the last few months, people's attitudes have really kind of come around.
More people are using AI in their personal life. They understand that it's not
perfect, but that it can be largely helpful.
And so I think we'll keep seeing things move in that direction while also having
(08:08):
to be very careful about how we use the technology ourselves. Yeah.
Yeah, it's a balance. And it's a balance. It's an ongoing debate.
But I love this idea of it's not generating the text or the essay.
It's brainstorming, coaching, guiding.
I love that. Yeah, definitely. What are some bright spots?
Give us an example of a success story. Yeah, I mean, my favorite examples are
(08:31):
seeing how very different kinds of students use the platform in really different
ways, but that work out for them.
So we work with a lot of student athletes, for example, who maybe really struggle
how to figure out how to tell their story of sports and athletic accomplishments
in the lens of, you know, an academic or professional setting.
So how can we pull out transferable skills for them?
(08:53):
Maybe they're not pursuing that sport after high school, but it's really been
like part of their journey so far.
We can help them pull out that story in a way that still shows how they're a
leader, how they're a collaborator, or, you know, how they have a newfound passion
for a specific mission that was really made clear to them through the journey of their sport.
Sure. So that's one example of a type of student that has really found a unique
(09:15):
way to tell their story on our platform.
We also work with a lot of kids who were very confused by the affirmative action ruling last year.
They weren't sure how, if or how, they were allowed to talk about things like
race and ethnicity or sexual orientation or really anything core to their identity. Yeah, wow.
Sure, if that was still something you're allowed to talk about and.
(09:36):
The short answer it is, it's not something you'll probably check on a form like a box anymore.
But it is still something if it's core to who you are, or what you want to do
or your experience today that you can and should talk about.
And so SAI can really help you tell the story of your identity through things like lived experience.
And we can help you figure out like, what is it about this identity that has shaped who you are?
(09:57):
And how might that inform the kind of student or professional you want to be
in the future. So we can really help students kind of weave out a larger story
there versus just saying, you know, this is what I am or this is how I feel.
And then I'm going to check that box, which is obviously a more,
more powerful way to tell that story anyway. way.
And again, we just work with students with a wide range of mixed,
(10:17):
you know, some students feel that they are stronger in these kind of subjects
than other kind of subjects.
And we can help them, you know, lean into what they are strong at versus feeling
like they have to compensate for something else.
Students who were able to uncover
really specific program types that they just didn't even know about.
Probably some of my favorite feedback we've gotten from students are I ended
up enrolling in a school or in a program within a school that I truly had never
(10:40):
heard of until, let's say, I put it in front of me.
And if we can introduce students to programs that really align with what they
love or what they want to do or their budget or help them stay in an area they
want to be in, that's a really exciting use case for me because I think it's so overwhelming.
There's so many options out there and a lot of students just don't know where
to start. So that's quite a few different kinds of experiences.
(11:04):
But the point being, we really do try to meet students with where they are and
what kind of student they are.
And to me, you know, the more flexible we can be working with different kinds
of students, the more successful of a platform that we've become.
That's a great example of like, you know, students not even knowing that something
existed, but it's like right up there. It's perfect for them.
(11:26):
Like, yeah, I think that sometimes that's a privilege that families have.
If you're from a family who have all gone to college, right?
You probably have more of a background in college types and programs.
But if maybe you're the first generation in your family going to college,
where do you begin with this search? And so that's kind of where you folks come in.
It's so true. And so many students just default to, oh, you know,
(11:50):
my cousin went here, so I'm going to apply here.
Or like even this TV character I love went to this school, so that's where I want to go. Yeah.
Like that's not necessarily bad, but like let's expand your options to like,
what do you actually want to do?
And what are your, you know, restraints and long-term goals and all these things.
So we can kind of make a more cohesive picture of what we should recommend.
(12:12):
And if you do have your heart set on one place, we can help you reach that goal too.
Yeah. Want to give students more information based on their unique situation.
What would you say are some lessons learned along the way? Big takeaways or
had I known then what I know now?
Yeah, when we first launched as a platform last year, we're still a very new organization.
(12:35):
We started a bit more amorphous. We had this kind of one mostly chat-based tool
that did very similar things to what our platform still does,
essay support, program discovery, all of the above.
But it felt very overwhelming. And I think this is what admissions is so scary
to so many kids and families is there's so many parts involved.
(12:56):
It's really a months to years long process from figuring out all the schools you want to apply to.
And even before then, maybe figuring out what you might be interested in in
terms of types of programs or long term career goals, all the way down to financial resources.
And how am I going to pay for this? I mean, that's a long journey.
And it's not easy to just use one amorphous tool to navigate all of that.
(13:18):
So I think our first learning was to really break it up and why one of the most
positive pieces of feedback We've gotten from students is are you made it feel
so much manageable more manageable,
you know I I only wanted to work on my college essay right now and you had a
tool just for that and then you had a separate tool just for supplemental essays
then you had a separate tool just for helping me with my conclusion and so like
(13:38):
the more we can break it up and just say if today I.
You used one tool and every time a student uses one of our tools, they unlock a badge.
So we try to gamify the process. Students can share those badges on social media.
So we try to make the whole thing feel more like a bit of a game and a bit of
a social journey. You can share your progress.
You can share your unique school matches and stories that the AI recommends. Oh, I love that.
(14:02):
Yeah. So if it feels something more native to how Gen Z actually uses the internet
and thinks about these kinds of things,
then they're more likely to want to start earlier, to want to be more engaged,
and then ultimately, hopefully, end up with a program that, you know,
is a better fit for them and was something that they were hoping to get into and achieve.
(14:23):
So I'd say our biggest learnings based on your question are breaking it up into
more manageable pieces was the biggest change we made about our new platform launch this year.
And also just making an experience that feels less like a tech platform that,
you know, your parents or teachers made you sign up for and something that feels
a little more authentic to how teenagers use the internet,
(14:46):
how they share with kids, with other kids,
how they gamify the experience a bit.
Those are two of the biggest learnings we had in the last year.
Some people might say there's, you know, other bigger issues of the world of education.
So why this? Why is this so important? Why this? Why now? Now,
what would you kind of say to that?
There's definitely a lot of things to address in the world of education,
(15:10):
and I certainly don't claim to have the answers to most of them.
But in this space, which I saw a lot firsthand when it comes to getting into
college, but frankly, post-secondary options as a whole, whether that's direct-to-workforce, community college,
trade school, whatever it is, I really saw a need when it comes to students
just not knowing where to even start and what they even want to do.
(15:34):
And as I sort of mentioned, just kind of defaulting to something that their
parents said or their friends are doing. And I really think.
That it can sort of set you up for, you know, maybe the wrong path when it comes
to getting yourself maybe into debt that you didn't necessarily want or need
to go into or choosing a program that you later realize,
(15:54):
you know, you're going to have to get a different degree in order to pursue,
you know, maybe it's nursing or law, whatever it is, you realize,
I wish I had known that a little earlier, so I didn't have to repeat certain
classes or school, you know, programs, etc.
So I think it's such a big need. And as I mentioned, you know,
specifically, what I saw as an advisor is that the costs were so prohibitive
(16:17):
when it comes to getting this kind of individualized support.
It's just really unfair.
And it makes higher education very elitist.
It's still Yeah, you know, the New York Times just did a study about how being
wealthy is still like the number one indicator of a student's success when it
comes to college admissions,
because there are so many ways that can benefit you, whether it is,
(16:38):
you know, an individual college advisor or other connections to a university, et cetera.
So whatever it is, I just think it's hugely important that every student at
least gets the opportunity to find what the right program is for them and then
has the best ability to stand out and,
you know, be as likely as any other student to be admitted based on,
you know, their unique story and accomplishments.
(16:58):
So that's really the origin there. And I also just think from a broader perspective.
Personal branding and storytelling is one one of the most important soft skills
for teenagers to develop right now, especially in this sort of AI forward world.
We can automate a lot of things, but we can't really automate our own stories
and all of our accomplishments.
(17:18):
So if we can help you just put some of those pieces together and tell a more
cohesive story about yourself and who you are and how all your different accomplishments
come together in a way to tell that story, that'll help you not only in your
college admissions journey, but throughout the rest of your life.
So that's kind of the big picture stuff that we think about.
How could we, you know, help you develop your story in this kind of first time
(17:40):
most students are required to think about themselves in this big picture way.
And then, you know, ideally, we can help you after that as well.
So I think it's already a very important issue that's just going to become even more important.
Yeah, like there's applications for this even after the college admission process,
like it's building that soft skill.
Exactly. I love that. Once you get into college, how can we keep developing
(18:03):
your story to help you, you know, get into that competitive program at school
or get that first internship or find the right career path.
Yeah. I think we really, as a team, just have a passion for helping students,
find those unique connections across what is, for all of us,
like a very wide range of activities and interests and accomplishments and helping
(18:23):
you kind of narrow in a little bit to really achieve your goals.
And that's what we want to help you do.
So how can folks access this or how can folks get involved?
You know, what's what's kind of the next step for listeners if they're like, I'm on in?
How do I do this? Yeah, of course. The most direct way would be to go to our website.
It's SAI.AI, E-S-A-I.AI. But if you're just kind of getting started and want
(18:48):
to learn more about the college admissions process or about personal branding,
we have a big community on TikTok.
It's at SAI underscore toolkit.
Same name on Instagram as well. And we also put out a blog and free AI trainings,
all of which talk about ethical use of AI in the admissions process.
Our blog talks about a wide range of topics related to the admissions process
(19:11):
and artificial intelligence and lots of the things we talked about today.
And all of that is free through our website as well. Great.
It's really, really interesting, really exciting. And I'm grateful to have you
in the ELAverse, the ELA extended universe.
Me too. It was great chatting with you today, Julia. Thank you so much.
Yeah, thank you. This was really awesome and hope more students will come check us out.
(19:33):
Well, that's it for us today, folks. Thank you to Julia Dixon.
And to learn more, check out their website at esai.ai.
I'm Aurora from ELA, and this was a deep dive with SAI.
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