Why “Access” Isn’t the Win We Think It Is, with James Miller @ Seattle University
Tue Jan 20 2026
College admissions is built on human connection. So why does it feel like technology (especially AI) is pulling us in the opposite direction?
In this episode of The VineDown, Emily Smith sits down with James Miller, Associate Vice President & Dean of Admission at Seattle University, to explore what he calls “the central paradox of admissions today.”
James brings a rare perspective shaped by decades in enrollment leadership and a Jesuit framework grounded in discernment: the idea that some problems aren’t meant to be solved by choosing one side, but by holding two truths at once.
Together, Emily and James dig into some of the most uncomfortable (and necessary) questions facing admissions right now:
- Why access alone is not success and why we need to stop congratulating ourselves too early
- What AI actually does well in admissions and where it should never replace humans
- Why today’s students ask more questions when they feel anonymous
- How speed, scale, and efficiency quietly undermine trust if we’re not careful
- Why completion rates haven’t improved and why blaming other parts of the system won’t fix it
- What it really means to guide a student from uninformed → informed → inspired
James also shares why he’s skeptical of extremes (both tech evangelism and tech resistance) and why admissions leaders need to become better systems thinkers, not just better recruiters.
This is a conversation about trust, student safety, values-based decision-making, and the responsibility admissions teams carry long after an offer letter is sent.
If you’re wrestling with AI, enrollment pressure, access vs. outcomes, or the future of admissions work… this episode will meet you exactly where you are.
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College admissions is built on human connection. So why does it feel like technology (especially AI) is pulling us in the opposite direction? In this episode of The VineDown, Emily Smith sits down with James Miller, Associate Vice President & Dean of Admission at Seattle University, to explore what he calls “the central paradox of admissions today.” James brings a rare perspective shaped by decades in enrollment leadership and a Jesuit framework grounded in discernment: the idea that some problems aren’t meant to be solved by choosing one side, but by holding two truths at once. Together, Emily and James dig into some of the most uncomfortable (and necessary) questions facing admissions right now: - Why access alone is not success and why we need to stop congratulating ourselves too early - What AI actually does well in admissions and where it should never replace humans - Why today’s students ask more questions when they feel anonymous - How speed, scale, and efficiency quietly undermine trust if we’re not careful - Why completion rates haven’t improved and why blaming other parts of the system won’t fix it - What it really means to guide a student from uninformed → informed → inspired James also shares why he’s skeptical of extremes (both tech evangelism and tech resistance) and why admissions leaders need to become better systems thinkers, not just better recruiters. This is a conversation about trust, student safety, values-based decision-making, and the responsibility admissions teams carry long after an offer letter is sent. If you’re wrestling with AI, enrollment pressure, access vs. outcomes, or the future of admissions work… this episode will meet you exactly where you are.