At Kira Talent, we're always striving to enhance the application process for both applicants and admissions teams. Every feature we design and every point of feedback we gather keeps applicants at the heart of what we do. This year was no exception.
In 2024, more than 200,000 applicants left feedback on their Kira experience.
This report takes a closer look at the data, exploring how applicants interacted with Kira, sharing their feedback, and highlighting the key features that make the Kira applicant experience a standout in admissions.
- New features making an impact in 2024
- Applicant feedback scores
- Applicant testimonials
- What’s next?
- Past reports
New Features Making an Impact in 2024
2024 saw the rollout of several features designed to enhance accessibility and engagement:
WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Compliance
Applicants can showcase their best work with confidence, thanks to features designed to support individuals with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, ensuring accessibility for all.
Word limits on written responses
New automated alerts help applicants submit concise written content by setting strict word limits and highlighting the number of words they need to remove before they can submit their response.
Multilingual Platform Support
In addition to English, French, and Spanish, Kira introduced Mandarin to our language settings, allowing schools to engage with the applicants in their preferred language.
Applicants shared glowing feedback about these innovations, which we’ll explore in the next section. For more product and feature updates from Kira, check out our 2024 Product Digest.
Applicant Feedback Scores
The highlights:
- 4.6/5 average applicant satisfaction rating – our fifth consecutive year of an “Exceptional” rating!
- 90.8% of users rated their experience as “Exceptional” (5/5) or “Great” (4/5) – another remarkable track record, over 90% of applicants have rated their Kira experience as ‘Exceptional’ every year since 2019.
- 97.9% of inquiries were solved instantly by Charlie, our AI chatbot – ensuring applicants got the answers they needed, right when they needed them.
- 87% of support reviews marked “Great” – maintaining the high standard of technical support that applicants appreciated in previous years.
A seamless admissions process does more than enhance operational efficiency—it shapes how applicants perceive your school. Negative experiences, whether due to technical issues, inadequate support, or poor communication, can quickly discourage prospective students. But when applicants feel supported and valued during the admissions journey, they are more likely to enroll and stay on course through to graduation.
With Kira, the proof is in the reports. At Kira, our annual Applicant Experience Reports reflect our dedication to creating an applicant-focused admissions process. We strive to ensure that every interaction leaves applicants with the best possible impression of your institution.
Applicant Testimonials
Kira Talent was founded on the belief that numbers alone can't capture the whole story. That’s why, when we evaluate the Kira applicant experience, we focus on sharing feedback straight from the applicants themselves. Here’s what some users shared about their experiences this year:
Applicants saw the value of virtual interviews.
“I liked having the opportunity to showcase a bit of my personality and character to the school using this assessment. All other schools I have applied to in the past did not utilize this program and I think it is beneficial to both the applicant and the admissions committee.”
“It was a seamless experience. Video assessments are a great way to give voice to the essays and ensure that the application review process is holistic.”
“This is a fantastic way to get to know your prospective students better.”
“This was a great experience! I enjoyed the opportunity to speak off the top of my head, which makes the responses more genuine.”
Platform usability was top of mind, and Kira delivered.
“Kira was easy to use and navigate, and allowed me to focus on the interview entirely without worrying about how the platform works.”
"I really liked that there were practice questions beforehand so that, as a first-time user, I could get comfortable with the platform before beginning the actual questions.”
“I found the progress bar for the timer at the top of the screen to be really helpful, as the thing I was most worried about was losing track of time. I also liked how on the video, there was a sound giving me a 3-second warning and counting down when the recording would start.”
Applicants loved the custom questions from their programs.
“I thought the questions were quite interesting and out of the box. It was a pleasure to participate.”
“I loved that the questions and scenarios were unique to the program!”
“Those questions are not only interesting but also really gave me the chance to speak for myself in a way that essays can't provide. The system is also easy to understand.”
The recorded videos integrated throughout the Kira experience made applicants feel connected.
“What I valued most about the platform were the opening and closing videos. These videos significantly enhanced my experience, providing a comforting and uplifting start and end to each session. They helped improve my mood and set a positive tone, making the overall experience more enjoyable and engaging.”
“The entire interview process was excellent. The best part was the numerous practice opportunities, allowing us interviewees to understand the whole process better. Another aspect I found great was that the questions were read out by real people, which added a lot of interactive experience and helped me feel more relaxed.”
At Kira, our mission is to establish admissions standards that are accessible, equitable, and purposeful. By sharing feedback directly from applicants, we strive to provide admissions teams with deeper, more genuine insights into the applicant experience, helping them make more informed decisions as they refine and enhance their admissions processes.
What’s Next?
In 2024, we made significant strides toward building a more equitable, inclusive, and user-friendly admissions platform. But, this is just the beginning.
With plans for mobile compatibility, deeper applicant integrity metrics, and more, we’re committed to continuing our evolution alongside applicants and admissions teams alike.
Be the first to know when this feature launches by subscribing to the Kira Talent newsletter.
To everyone who used Kira Talent this year, thank you for sharing your stories, feedback, and insights. Together, we’re reshaping admissions—one exceptional experience at a time.