High school students and college applicants are increasingly turning to chatbots as virtual college counselors, a sign that AI is shifting the admissions advising market. The rise in AI use for college‑planning questions raises concerns over accuracy, equity and how institutions should respond to third‑party guidance tools. Meanwhile, community colleges in Northern California are piloting a “human‑centered” AI tool to boost enrollment and completion for rural, bilingual students, evidence that campuses are using tailored AI systems to target support in areas like transfer advising and persistence. Educators stress that human oversight and culturally informed design are critical to avoid biased outcomes. For admissions and student‑success teams, these twin developments mean institutions must decide whether to integrate vendor tools, build in‑house systems, or offer official AI guidance—while updating data governance, privacy policies and staff training.