After a wave of concern about AI‑assisted college‑application cheating, many admissions offices are now deploying AI tools to screen and speed application reviews. Virginia Tech and Caltech are among institutions piloting AI readers and authenticity checks to accelerate decisions and vet student‑produced research. Colleges say AI can reduce manual data‑entry and improve consistency, but they emphasize human oversight in admissions decisions. At the same time, K‑12 and district leaders report widespread lack of standards and expertise for classroom AI use: roughly 60% of U.S. schools lack written guidance on generative AI, and only a minority of computer‑science teachers hold dedicated CS degrees. Districts that have moved faster—by collaboratively creating policies or embedding AI literacy—report better buy‑in and clearer guardrails. Why it matters: admissions professionals and K‑12 leaders face a dual challenge: harnessing AI’s efficiency gains while creating ethical, privacy‑aligned policies and maintaining academic integrity. Universities and school systems must invest in faculty training, data governance and transparent disclosure to integrate AI responsibly into recruitment, assessment and instruction.