SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Princeton Day School
Curiosity Meets AI
At Princeton Day School, curiosity and critical thinking shape how students learn, how teachers design experiences, and how leaders plan for the future.
So when artificial intelligence became a growing topic in education, Princeton Day School didn’t ask “Should we use it?” The more important question was “How might AI help us serve families and support learning?”
At a Glance
Founded in 1965, Princeton Day School brings together a diverse Pre-K through Grade 12 community where intellectual vitality, strength of character, and joy in discovery flourish.
“We see tremendous potential of AI and are navigating its use thoughtfully and responsibly,” shared Andrew Lee, digital marketing and communications manager at Princeton Day School.
He noted that the school’s approach emphasizes thoughtful inquiry and helping students understand new tools in age-appropriate, meaningful ways.
That mindset made Princeton Day School (PDS) a natural fit for Ask AI, Finalsite’s AI-powered chatbot that handles repetitive questions and gives families a faster path to the information they need.
While it would become another resource in the school’s communications toolbox, PDS saw an opportunity to use an AI chatbot to make the website experience more intuitive for families and students alike.
“We quickly saw how (Ask AI) could support admissions, athletics, and other departments that handle repetitive communications.”
ANDREW LEE
DIGITAL MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Making Ask AI Their Own: Meet “Ask Paws”
Princeton Day School made Ask AI its own by branding it as “Ask Paws,” a clever nod to their panther mascot. The implementation process was “painless,” as Andrew recalled it, thanks to hands-on support from Finalsite’s team.
While Ask AI references the school’s publicly available information, PDS uploaded additional documents to support the chatbot’s custom knowledge base and quickly respond with strategic answers, including:
- Lunch menus
- Admissions brochures
- Handbooks
- Microsite content and other frequently requested information
Within a month, the dashboard showed hundreds of user interactions, providing valuable insights into what families needed most.
Lightening the Load for Admissions, Athletics, and More
The real value emerged once Ask Paws went live. "We quickly saw how it could support admissions, athletics, and other departments that handle repetitive communications," Andrew explained.
Ask AI became a helpful layer of support that lightened the load for multiple departments, especially admissions, which no longer has to field so many repetitive questions like, “What’s the tuition?” “What's the application process?” or “When is the application due?”
“We see the bot is helping answer these questions accurately,” Andrew said, adding that when more nuanced questions are asked like, “What’s your admission yield rate?” or “What are the requirements to get accepted?” the AI chat responds strategically with answers like, “Here are the kinds of characteristics we look for in an applicant…” and provides more detail.
Athletics saw fewer constituents asking about game schedules, too. “We thought having this could help because we get a lot of requests from families about ‘When's the next game?’ or ‘Where's the game schedule?’” Andrew noted. “I used to hear those all the time, but now they're much less frequent.”
Before Ask AI, parents and families would reach out via email, phone, or in person, especially about information already listed on the website. Admin found that even details like the lunch menu and tuition became easier for families to access without sending an email or making a call, freeing up teams who were juggling full schedules.
“It’s become a simple starting point for families exploring PDS and unsure where to go first.”
What the Data Revealed
With a user-friendly dashboard that includes usage data, chat logs, and satisfaction ratings, Andrew and the PDS team noticed growing interest from international families, reflected in the languages and terminology being used, along with many prospective students asking about application requirements or student life at PDS.
The ability to support non-English-speaking families, especially during initial outreach, has opened new possibilities.
“It was surprising. We’re a day school, so we’re not actively recruiting international families, but they’re clearly interested,” Andrew shared. “And we don't always have multilingual staff available to meet with families, so it’s become a simple starting point for families exploring PDS and unsure where to go first.”
Andrew offered three key pieces of advice for schools considering adding an AI chatbot to their tech stack:
- Bring in others. Engage other departments early to identify their goals, whether that’s reducing the volume of emails, answering FAQs, or improving the browsing experience for families.
- Be intentional with your knowledge base: The more specific and up-to-date your uploads are, the more helpful the chatbot becomes.
- Treat it like a marketing tool: Ask AI provides support, but it’s also a helpful tool that helps shape first impressions and introduces your school.
With each interaction, a user moves closer to finding “What’s your why?” Ask AI, or rather, “Ask Paws,” supports people first, and that means removing small barriers, helping families find clear answers faster, and inviting them into the “joy of discovery” that defines Princeton Day School.
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