Two Education Interventions That Actually Work

In the discourse around artificial intelligence in education, we often hear two opposing narratives: AI will either revolutionize learning by making it more personalized and accessible, or it will dehumanize education by replacing the essential human connections that foster growth. But what if both narratives miss the mark?

While many edtech tools promise to automate human limitations, two organizations—Matriculate and Mainstay—are demonstrating a potentially more powerful and nuanced path; using technology to elevate what only humans can do.

Beyond The False Dichotomy

Matriculate addresses a critical yet often overlooked problem in college access: Many high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds never apply to the selective colleges they’re qualified to attend—a phenomenon known as undermatching. CEO Bryden Sweeney-Taylor explains that Matriculate bridges this gap by connecting students with trained near-peer mentors; college students from similar backgrounds who recently navigated the admissions process. Through virtual one-on-one advising, these relationships help students gain confidence, raise their aspirations, and submit stronger applications.

Mainstay (formerly AdmitHub) takes a different but complementary approach. Founder and CEO Drew Magliozzi describes its mission as supporting students at scale during the admissions process and beyond through AI-powered conversations without ever losing sight of the human element. He likens AI to “an Iron Man suit for gifted educators”: Technology provides real-time nudges and guidance, while human advisors intervene at key moments with empathy, accountability, and insight.

Both organizations reveal the same truth: When used thoughtfully, technology can become a force multiplier for connection, not a substitute for it. Their models suggest that the future of education isn’t a choice between human or machine—it’s the strategic blending of both.

Matriculate’s Near-Peer Revolution

A peer-to-peer advising model, Sweeney-Taylor notes, is powerful because “it’s putting a set of institutions on those high school students’ radars that wouldn’t necessarily be there initially.” When students hear from someone who has just been through the process, who shares a similar background, and who is succeeding at a top institution, that personal connection inspires and supports them in ways that generic resources can’t.

What makes Matriculate’s approach especially compelling is how technology enables these relationships to transcend geography. “All of our interactions between advising fellows and high school fellows happen virtually,” says Sweeney-Taylor. “We use video chat, document sharing, texting, phone calls, and email. From the start, that’s allowed us to reach students nationwide, especially in areas where few college access resources exist.”

This virtual reach enables Matriculate to serve more than 3,500 students annually and, since its founding, over 20,000 students total. According to the organization, participants are 30% more likely to enroll in selective colleges compared to similarly qualified peers without access to near-peer advising. (This figure is based on internal outcomes data; readers are encouraged to visit Matriculate’s website for more detail on the methodology.)

Mainstay’s Human-in-the-Loop Discovery

While Matriculate uses technology to enable human connections, Mainstay deploys AI conversations at scale to support students through critical transitions. But they’ve made a fascinating discovery: AI alone isn’t enough.

“It turns out that human in the loop, even just a little bit of the time, actually triples the outcomes that we get. So without the human, we’re about one-third as effective,” Magliozzi revealed.

This finding came from what Magliozzi described as “the most important research study we ever did… the one that had the least impact.” In this study, they removed the human oversight component that normally accounts for just 2% of their interactions. The results were enlightening.

The paradox they identified is that “our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness when it comes to AI interventions with students,” said Magliozzi. “The greatest strength they all tell us is, ‘I felt like I could be vulnerable with this thing because I could tell it things about me and I didn’t feel judged.'”

But that same lack of judgment creates less accountability. “If I tell an AI chatbot, I promise I’m going to file that paperwork by next Tuesday, I’m a lot less likely to do it if my actual advisor is not privy to the conversation as well,” Magliozzi explained.

This insight has shaped how Mainstay designs its systems, ensuring human advisors are alerted at critical moments – like when a student mentions dropping out – even if AI handles the majority of routine interactions.

The Power Of Augmentation

Both organizations have landed on a similar fundamental principle: Technology should augment rather than replace human connection in education. This approach recognizes that while AI can provide information and answer questions around the clock, certain aspects of education require human presence.

As Magliozzi put it: “The job of educator has always been both to be the subject matter expert and be the empathic motivator who has a deep caring and connection to the student. Interestingly enough, AI actually affords the ability to make the subject matter expertise the scalable, infinitely available thing and creates the opportunity for anyone who has a deep relationship with a student to play that role exceptionally well.”

Both organizations reveal the same truth: When used thoughtfully, technology can become a force multiplier for connection, not a substitute for it.

And the results speak for themselves.

Matriculate has supported over 20,000 high-achieving, low-income students since its founding. According to the organization, students who complete the program are 30% more likely to enroll in a selective college compared to similarly qualified peers without access to near-peer advising.

Mainstay‘s AI-powered messaging platform has reached over 10 million students across more than 200 institutions, supporting outcomes like increased FAFSA completion rates, improved first-year retention, and higher class attendance. In one randomized control trial, institutions using Mainstay’s platform saw a 3.3 percentage point increase in college enrollment among nudged students compared to a control group.

These measurable gains underscore what their leaders already know: When technology amplifies human care and judgment, students thrive.

Lessons For Educational Innovation

These insights remind me of what I’ve observed in my own work with students: The most important moments in education often aren’t about information transfer but about presence, belief, and human connection. Whether it’s a college advisor helping a student navigate the emotional complexity of leaving home or a professor noticing a student’s hidden potential, these profoundly human moments can’t be automated away. However, they can be preserved and amplified by thoughtful technology.

What can other educators and institutions learn from these approaches? Several principles emerge:

1. Identify the uniquely human elements of your educational mission and protect them fiercely when incorporating AI and advising at scale. Not everything should be automated.
2. Use technology to extend reach, not replace connection. Both organizations use virtual tools to transcend geographic limitations while preserving authentic relationships.
3. Design for vulnerability and accountability. The most effective systems create safe spaces for students to express needs while ensuring human support at critical moments.
4. Leverage data to enhance human judgment, not replace it. Both organizations use insights from their platforms to help human advisors make better decisions about where to focus their attention.

As we navigate the rapidly evolving educational technology landscape with the advent of AI, these organizations offer a refreshing perspective to the often-contentious discourse about AI’s role in education. They demonstrate that the most powerful approach isn’t choosing between technology and human connection, but thoughtfully integrating both.

In the process of exploring AI’s capabilities, we would do well to remember what these organizations have discovered: Technology works best when it amplifies our humanity rather than attempting to replace it.