As sunset arrives earlier each November evening, the windows of university buildings gradually go dark. Staff pack up their belongings, admissions officers file away their applications, and security does their final rounds. But in one corner of Boston University School of Law's graduate admissions office, a light stays on. It's been on for a week, and it will stay on through Thanksgiving night.

Here's the twist – there's no overworked staff member behind that light. It's Ava, an AI voice assistant who never sleeps. Unlike the chatbots we're all used to, Ava actually talks with prospective students through the university's website. You speak, she responds – just like a real conversation with an admissions officer. The only difference is that Ava is available 24x7.

Ava on BU Law's LLM webpages

A Win-Win for Schools and Students

This voice-first approach is transforming how universities handle admissions. While the admissions team enjoys some well-deserved family time, Ava keeps working. She's there at 3 AM when an anxious student in Shanghai wants to know about application deadlines. She's ready at dawn when an early bird has questions about prerequisites. And she'll be there on Christmas morning.

There's something elegant about this solution. The human admissions officers can focus on what they do best – evaluating applications and making tough decisions about who gets in. Meanwhile, Ava handles the endless stream of questions that would otherwise clog their inboxes and Zoom calls.

So while the campus grows quiet this Thanksgiving, that one light stays on. It's a reminder that in our increasingly connected world, someone – or something – is always there to help.