As the first, and one of the largest, publicly funded nursing schools in Washington, the Washington State University (WSU) College of Nursing serves students across a statewide system of campuses in Spokane, Tri-Cities, Yakima, and Vancouver. Guided by its land-grant mission, WSU is committed to preparing nurses who reflect the communities they serve — from rural and agricultural regions to urban centers and multilingual populations.
“Traveling people to campuses was really tough.” explained Chris Sogge, Director of the Center for Student Excellence. “It was harder for our out-of-state applicants, harder for applicants who had jobs or children or other obligations. In-person interviews just weren’t feasible.”
To support this mission, the college needed an admissions process that was accessible, flexible, and capable of evaluating the whole applicant. With in-person interviews posing barriers for out-of-state candidates and those balancing work or family responsibilities, WSU turned to Kira for the tools to break free from geographic restraints.
Elevating accessibility in admissions
“With Kira, students can choose when and where they take the interview, and practice until they feel ready,” explained Chris Sogge. “That flexibility reduces nerves and gives them more confidence in the process.”
“Before Kira, we spent so much time on room scheduling and keeping everyone in the same place,” added Sogge. “Now we simply open the assessment for a week and let applicants pick what works for them.”
This shift in structure not only eased the logistical strain but also opened the door for WSU to advance a bigger goal — making admissions more holistic.
Putting the “mission” in admissions
“With Kira, we’ve been able to increase diversity in our cohorts.”
“We’ve seen gains in race and ethnicity, first-generation status, rural backgrounds, and applicants who speak more than one language. That was exactly the goal.” explained Sogge.
“Because we place more emphasis on healthcare experience in the interview, people have more to talk about,” Sogge continued. “That’s allowed us to reduce the weight of academic metrics like GPA and test scores. The averages have shifted from really unrealistic standards to more normal ranges, which opens the door to a broader range of applicants.” shared Sogge.
“We recently shifted to a horizontal review structure for our BSN program,” explained Sogge. “It’s been really helpful to reduce reviewer bias by having two reviewers per competency instead of one person seeing everything.” shared Sogge.
This move toward holistic review has been paired with strong feedback from faculty, staff, and students, who have found the process both easier to manage and more insightful.
Elevating the reviewer and applicant experience
“I just love Kira,” shared Dianne Selcho, Admissions Coordinator. “The new reviewer platform has been absolutely amazing. Reviewers tell me all the time how easy it is to see what they’ve already done, what’s left, and how clearly everything is laid out. They absolutely love it.”
“Our faculty and staff really enjoy seeing students before they get to work with them,” Selcho continued.
“Even though it’s not face-to-face, they still feel like they get to know who the student is better than they could from just reviewing their paper file.”
“Our Inspire report shows applicant ratings in the 4.5 to 4.9 range,” added Sogge. “Students really appreciate being able to complete their interview on their own time, in their own space, and to practice until they feel comfortable. That flexibility has been the biggest impact for them.” explained Selcho.
While reviewers and applicants alike have praised the experience, the WSU team also highlighted how Kira’s support and customization features have strengthened their process even further.
A team to support the overtime shifts
“The bulk assigning is one of the biggest things I love about Kira,” said Selcho. “We use at least two reviewers for every applicant, and being able to assign them in bulk has been amazing. If we had to do it by hand, it would take forever.” shared Selcho.
“The ability to edit our questions, upload our own videos, or make small changes ourselves has been really valuable,” added Sogge. “But if I ever need help, the Kira team is right there. It’s such a rare mix of easy to use and highly customizable.” shared Sogge.
“Everyone I’ve worked with from Kira has been absolutely amazing,” said Selcho. “The customer service is top tier — responsive, helpful, and kind. I even got to meet with the development team to share my experience and wishlist of improvements. That really showed me they value the user’s perspective.” shared Selcho.
For WSU, what began as a way to modernize interviews has grown into a tool that supports their mission of access, diversity, and holistic evaluation.
