Before you begin
Start with the pre-built Admissions Assistant template from the Template Catalog, and identify an admissions policy owner who will approve source documents and review test responses before any staff member relies on the Agent.
Source documents
Use only current, approved policy materials:
- Public admissions handbooks and application checklists.
- Deadline calendars for the active cycle.
- Transfer credit guides and official FAQ documents.
Keep applicant records, application exports, internal reviewer notes, credentials, and files containing personal data out of the collection.
Scope of the Agent
An Admissions Assistant explains published requirements and drafts general information responses. Where it stops matters as much as what it covers.
| Does | Does not |
|---|---|
| Explains published requirements | Makes or predicts admission decisions |
| Drafts general information responses | Claims access to applicant records |
| Cites the approved source document | Verifies whether an individual file is complete |
Steps
- Set up the Workspace. Create or select a Workspace for the admissions office, and restrict membership to authorized staff who manage the Agent and Knowledge collection.
- Instantiate the template. Open the Template Catalog, select Admissions Assistant, and enter a clear office name such as “Undergraduate Admissions Information Assistant”.
- Build a private Knowledge collection. Upload the current admissions handbook, official deadline pages, transfer guides, and approved FAQ documents.
- Record ownership. Note an owner and revision date for every uploaded source document, including which staff member verifies deadline dates each academic term.
- Enable citations and add instruction sections. Turn on citations in Agent settings, then add Source Citations and Office Referral Protocol from the Instruction Library so answers point back to a document and route individual cases to staff.
- Add the Knowledge Base Constraint Safeguard. A public-facing Agent answering from a fixed handbook is the case this one is built for. It gives prompt-level guidance rather than hard enforcement, so the collection scope from step 3 remains the actual control.
- Write the office instructions. Direct the Agent to provide published guidance, include source citations, and refer individual status inquiries to staff through official communication channels.
- Test with fictional queries. Cover application deadlines, transcript submission rules, transfer evaluations, international requirements, and missing documents.
- Review the answers with the policy owner. Confirm that cited sources are current and that no individual admission determinations are implied.
- Share with the office. Release the Agent to staff only after your team agrees on source document ownership, term review dates, and staff escalation procedures.
Check your result
Submit several fictional test inquiries that draw from different uploaded documents, then confirm that the Agent:
- Cites approved source files consistently.
- Separates general requirements from individual record reviews.
- Provides direct contact information for personal application questions.
Troubleshooting
- Unsupported or outdated answers. Verify that the current authoritative document is active in the Knowledge collection, and remove older file versions.
- The Agent addresses specific applicant records. Strengthen your prompt instructions and referral requirements, and keep individual applicant records out of the collection.
Next steps
Schedule a recurring review date prior to each application cycle. Once another office staff member can independently verify the review workflow, you can share the Agent configuration as an Organization template, so other offices start from a reviewed baseline. Colleagues compare approaches to that handoff in How do administrative teams share reusable workflows without losing local ownership?.
Before you post
Before sharing prompts, configurations, or screenshots, review Community sharing and responsible AI use. Never post student records, personally identifiable information, or credentials.