With nearly 2,000 students across four campuses in San Jose, The Harker School is the largest independent school of its kind on the West Coast. Each year, the admissions team receives more than 1,700 applications across early years admissions, middle school admissions, and high school admissions. Traditionally, families were asked to submit written parent statements, but these were increasingly inadequate.
“They could be labored over and outsourced to an educational consultant — or even ChatGPT now,” explained Jennifer Hargreaves, Upper School Admission Director. “We really wanted to hear the unfiltered parent perspective, their responses about their children and their family values.”
For Harker, where students themselves were not always interviewed, particularly in the early years admissions process, parent input carried even greater weight. “We often wished we could just interview every parent,” said Diann Chung, Lower School Admission Director.
"But with 1,700 families, it was impossible to schedule that many one-on-one conversations."
Scaling personal connections
Kira’s asynchronous video assessments offered a way to make those personal connections without overwhelming staff capacity.
“It really gave us such a valuable tool to see deeper into a family,” shared Danielle Holquin, Middle School Admission Director. “I loved being able to peek in and see the connection between parents and how they spoke about their child.
"Given our volume, it was amazing to get to know families on such a personal level."
The technology also proved seamless for applicants. “I was shocked that nobody asked us for help,” Holquin added. “It really was that user-friendly.”
Communicating values, not just academics
The shift to Kira also gave Harker a new way to highlight what matters most in K-12 admissions.
“Since we are a very high academic school, some people think all we care about is test scores and classroom achievement,” Hargreaves noted.
"Harker is about so much more than that. We truly care about each child’s wellbeing, finding balance, and expanding their interests and passions beyond the classroom."
By carefully designing questions around values such as balance, wellbeing, and integrity, Harker encouraged families to speak authentically about their children. “The questions were really eye-opening for parents,” Hargreaves explained. “They realized we weren’t asking about academics at all. They were happy to hear we cared about their child’s overall wellbeing, not just resume building for college.”
This clarity helped families self-assess fit as much as it helped Harker assess them. As Hargreaves put it,
"We want to raise great people, not just great college applicants."
Positive response from families and community
Despite initial nerves, parents quickly embraced the new format. “We were a little worried about how families would respond,” Chung admitted. “But the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Parents told us it was easy, it saved them time, and they appreciated being able to share authentically about their child.”
Some even found it reassuring. “One family came in thinking they had tanked their application because they knew they weren’t Tiger parents,” Hargreaves recalled. “In reality, their responses helped us see it was her initiative and you were not pushing, you were supporting.”
The platform’s built-in integrity checks also provided valuable insight. “Integrity is a really important value at Harker,” Hargreaves shared. “
"The integrity flags helped us identify when there wasn’t alignment. It became another way to see if the fit was right for both sides."
Word of the new process spread quickly within the community. “I got an email from a current parent who said people at a parent coffee were talking about how excited they were about the questions we were asking,” said Hargreaves. “Families want their children surrounded by peers whose families care about the same things.”
Looking ahead
After a successful first year, Harker plans to build on its use of Kira across early years, middle school, and high school admissions. “We’re looking to tear down barriers and broaden our community,” Holquin explained. “We want families to know Harker is more than just high achievement — it’s about diversity, wellbeing, and balance.”
The team is already refining its question bank and exploring expanded language support. “This year, we let families know they could respond in their native language or request extended time,” said Hargreaves. “Next year, we’re aiming to add full translations in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.”
For Harker, Kira has become more than an admissions tool. It’s a way to scale authenticity, align values, and ensure that every family has an equal opportunity to share their story.
As Holquin summed it up: “Kira bridged the gap for us. It gave us authentic, insightful ways to connect with families, something we couldn’t have achieved otherwise.”
This article was written based on this webinar with The Harker School.
The University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy is home to the largest community-based pharmacy residency program in the nation. With a mission to prepare future leaders in pharmacy practice and a culture rooted in mentorship, the program partners with a diverse network of sites from independent pharmacies and ambulatory care clinics to public health departments and charitable pharmacies. This breadth allows residents to train in real-world settings that reflect the communities they will one day serve, while fostering innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered care.
“Residents get the chance to continue learning from established professionals who want to invest in their growth and development. It’s a win for us as a program because we’re training up future leaders in the profession.” shared Macary Marciniak, Clinical Associate Professor at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
With its rapid growth, UNC sought out a platform that could support the duality of their PGY1 programs without relying on disjointed tools.
A custom fit platform for every site
Although all residency sites use the same evaluation criteria, Kira allows each site to adapt the interview experience to their unique context.
“One site does a forum presentation with breakout sessions, another uses a panel interview,” explained Marciniak. “We give sites the flexibility to structure interviews in the way that works best for them, while still maintaining consistency across the program.”
“What’s nice is that these sites get to learn from each other, one might try a new format this year because they saw it work well elsewhere.”
“It took a little bit of learning that first year, but now it’s effortless to adjust timeframes, breakout rooms, or formats whenever a site wants to do something different.” shared Marciniak.
This kind of adaptability gave UNC the confidence to expand its residency sites without worrying about added complexity. But the real difference came not just from the platform itself but from the people behind it, whose support made the transition seamless.
A trusted partner in every rotation
“The Kira team felt like a safety net. Even if something went wrong, I knew someone was there to handle it — and that peace of mind is invaluable during interview season.” shared Marciniak.
“I’ve been so impressed with the responsiveness of the Kira team,” she shared. “It’s not just the platform, it’s the people behind it who help us troubleshoot, suggest improvements, and make the process stress-free.” shared Traci Shell, Program Associate at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
“Having that support felt like a security blanket. I had zero stress implementing Kira because I knew their team was there if we needed them, and we ended up having very few issues,”
“Implementing new technology can be stressful, but with Kira I felt none of that. The training, support, and responsiveness made it smooth from day one.” shared Marciniak.
Charting what’s next
What started as a way to reduce scheduling chaos and modernize their admissions process has now become an integral part of UNC’s PGY1 residency programs.
“It’s been an amazing solution, and I only see more opportunities to use it in the future.” shared Marciniak.
“We’ve already added more sites since adopting Kira, and yet it feels like even less work because the system handles the complexity so well.” shared Marciniak.
“I see opportunities to use Kira even more across our school, whether in admissions or additional residency processes, because it’s proven to be so adaptable.” shared Marciniak.
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.
Utah Valley University’s Physician Assistant program is part of the state’s largest public university and proudly reflects UVU’s mission of access, growth, and student support. With a high percentage of first-generation students in each cohort — 38% across the university and 26% in the PA program’s Class of 2027 — the program is committed to fostering equity and providing meaningful opportunities for future healthcare providers. As the program’s reputation grew and application numbers surged to 700+ per cycle, UVU PA needed a way to fairly and efficiently assess applicants without overwhelming its faculty or compromising on depth.
“We want students to come see our culture and feel what it’s like to be here,” shared Michelle Bastian, Admissions Director for the PA program. “It’s important to us that the admissions experience matches the same support and care they’ll find in the program.”
With Kira, UVU found a solution that helped them streamline admissions, reduce bias, and create a more intentional, student-centered process.
Putting efficiency at the forefront of admissions
“Before Kira, we spent six full days conducting eight-hour interviews,” Bastian shared. “With Kira, we’ve cut that down to three days and three-hour sessions — all without compromising the quality of our applicant evaluations.”
“Our faculty have limited time, and Kira has given us a way to engage them meaningfully in admissions without disrupting their teaching responsibilities,” she explained. “Using an Asynchronous Assessment in Kira as a first-round interview, we’re able to focus our time in the final in-person interviews to dig deeper into each candidate’s story and motivation.”
Utah Valley PA’s in person interviews used to run 8 hours a day for 6 days. By bringing Kira in as a prescreening step, they’ve been able to reduce that time commitment down to just 3 hours a day for 3 days. For their faculty members, that means a reduced time commitment from 48 hours down to only 9 hours across the interviewing cycle.
“Shortening the interview day has made it easier for faculty to stay focused and fully engaged with each applicant.”
Introducing a new tool at mitigating bias
“Admissions has historically struggled with bias, and we’re constantly trying to figure out how to best mitigate that impact,” shared Bastian.
“With Kira, we’re able to apply a consistent, structured evaluation process,” Bastian continued. “That change has been integral in helping us to reduce subjectivity and bias across our admissions decisions.”
By using a structured rubric and getting multiple reviewers per applicant, Kira helps ensure a fairer, more balanced admissions process — one that mitigates individual bias and promotes equity.
Uncover the 9 most common forms of admissions bias and see how Kira can help mitigate them
“The way Kira’s platform lets us assign three faculty members to each applicant aligns with our mission to counteract the natural biases that can occur in the admissions process.” explained Bastian. “Because of the way it’s set up—with Kira’s team helping us write questions, with rubrics, with video intros—it becomes much more fair.”
“Even with our rising applicant volume and the complexity of a holistic admissions process, Kira is helping us make thoughtful, mission-driven decisions more efficiently than ever before.”
Bringing applicant submissions to life
“Kira allows us to see beyond an applicant’s paper qualifications, bringing their personality and communication skills to life in a way that the application alone never could,” shared Bastian. “It has been truly transformative for our admissions process.”
“Applicants are more than numbers. Kira helps us understand who they are — their story, their values, and their communication skills — in ways that traditional applications can’t.”
“We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from applicants about their Kira interview experience — which speaks volumes, considering how stressful the process can be,” Bastian continued. “Our applicants now leave their interview day feeling more confident, less fatigued, and genuinely positive about the process.”
“Kira Talent has truly elevated our admissions process,” she added. “It’s intuitive, reliable, and backed by a fantastic support team — it’s something we genuinely look forward to using each year.”
Since opening its doors to its first class in 2019, the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University has quickly earned a reputation for producing more than just knowledgeable physicians—they’re cultivating compassionate, human-centered healthcare leaders. With a modern curriculum that prioritizes hands-on experience and soft skill development from day one, Burnett’s approach is deeply rooted in empathy.
“Our mission is to transform healthcare by inspiring empathetic scholars,” shared Jennifer Bridges, Director of Admissions. “We want our students to graduate with the necessary medical knowledge, but also the ability to connect with their patients and really make them feel seen, heard, and cared for.”
This commitment to authentic human connection is woven into every aspect of the Burnett School of Medicine experience—including admissions. From one-on-one meetings with the Dean to peer-to-peer conversations with current students, applicants are encouraged to explore the school’s values firsthand.
A key part of that experience is the school’s Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), a structured format designed to assess how applicants' traits, skills, and motivations align with the school’s mission. But when the interviews were conducted on Zoom, the process didn’t always reflect the same care and attention to detail.
“The Zoom process felt clunky. Technical issues often caused delays, and overall it just didn’t leave the best first impression of our program,” explained Bridges. “That’s why in 2023, we moved our MMI to Kira Talent.”
Building and scheduling at your fingertips
"Everything about Kira is user-friendly," shared Bridges. "The platform is intuitive and our dedicated Client Success Manager was on hand to help us get everything set up and show us the ropes."
"The efficiency of getting the entire MMI set up and ready in one day was amazing,” Bridges shared. “With Zoom, we had to manually build things out piece by piece, but Kira streamlined everything from the start.”
"This shift, combined with Kira’s intuitive scheduling, has saved us more than 30 hours over the course of the year."
The efficiencies built into the Kira process continued beyond interview setup. Having integrated Kira with their existing AMP system, the admissions team at Burnett School of Medicine can sit back and watch completed scores transfer seamlessly into their applicant records.
Learn how NYU Grossman School of Medicine is benefiting from Kira’s seamless AMP integration
Minimizing interview day no-shows
One of the most impactful changes for Bridges and her team has been the reduction in interview no-shows. With Kira’s Admin Dashboard, they can now easily flag applicants who haven’t completed their set-up and may therefore not be planning on attending.
"For a Monday interview day, we require applicants to complete their Kira pre-check-in by Friday at noon, and if they haven’t, we call them," Bridges shared. "Having advance insight into which applicants hadn't checked in allowed us to follow up and confirm any declines or reschedules ahead of interview day, which saved us a significant amount of time."
“This proactive approach means that out of 312 interviewees, only two or three didn’t show—and we knew in advance."
Positive feedback from Faculty and Staff
Beyond improved efficiency, the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU has received praise on an improved experience from both applicants and reviewers.
"Our interviewers love our new process with Kira,” shared Bridges. “Allowing them to select their dates well in advance, along with timely reminders from Kira, made it easy for them to participate alongside their other responsibilities.”
“We've received consistent positive feedback—with many sharing how much they prefer Kira over Zoom."
"Kira’s on-hand support during interview days makes our experience, as the admissions team, so much more efficient and enjoyable as well,” Bridges continued. “If something happened, like a candidate dropping out at the last minute, they were able to broadcast to raters and stations so that everyone was informed, and we stayed on track."
"We truly do love the Kira platform,” she added. “It has made life in our admissions office very easy."
Kicking off the new year at Kira Talent, we focused on tackling some highly anticipated new features. From giving applicants more flexibility in how they complete interviews, to equipping teams with deeper insights into applicant behaviour, read on to see how these updates can help you deliver a more connected admissions experience.
Updates and new features:
- Mobile accessibility
- Applicant integrity tracking services
- Downloadable video transcriptions
- Coming soon to Kira: New Admin User Experience
Structured interviews in the palm of your hand
Give applicants the flexibility to complete their interviews from a phone or tablet, with full mobile access to Kira’s Live Interview and Asynchronous Assessment platforms. Whether on a mobile browser or desktop, applicants now get the same seamless experience of completing their Kira assessment.
- Support every screen size with a responsive interface that adjusts automatically to fit smaller devices, making it easy for applicants to navigate actions like viewing questions, muting, or switching views.
- Achieve full feature parity by offering the full capabilities of Kira’s interview experience — including prep time, live interaction, and timed responses — on both IOS and Android.
- Guide applicants with confidence with the refreshed Help Center content, chatbot support, and walk-through demos designed to make mobile interviews smooth and intuitive for applicants.
More insights, better integrity
Kira’s Applicant Activity Tracking Service (ATS) enhances the security and reliability of your assessments or interviews by actively monitoring applicant activity throughout the process.
- Track key applicant behaviours such as copying and pasting text, tab switching, and more — all quietly recorded for both Live and Async formats.
- Support confident decision-making by providing your team with behind-the-scenes visibility into potential red flags — without affecting the applicant experience. This silent monitoring lays the foundation for fairer, more informed reviews.
- Build toward better reporting by storing this behavioural data in Kira’s internal Activity Tracker Database — where each flag is stored in a vault containing all user assessment insights and data.
Transcribe with a click
Ensure you're getting every word — without having to replay responses. You can now download transcripts of your applicants’ recorded video responses in just a few clicks.
- Share transcripts with the admissions committee to support collaborative review and defensible admissions decisions.
- Unlock new ways to review and analyze applicant responses, scanning transcripts for quick insights or digging deeper to identify trends.
- Provide accessible review formats for staff and reviewers who need a written reference.
Coming Soon: A new admin user experience
A new era of administration is on the horizon at Kira Talent. With a refreshed user experience currently in development, the upcoming updates for our Admin Platform will streamline day-to-day tasks and offer expanded capabilities for managing assessments, applicants, and assignments. The redesigned interface will include powerful tools like universal search, enhanced analytics and reporting, and a more intuitive builder experience — all designed to make navigating Kira faster, smarter, and more efficient for your entire admissions team. Stay tuned for more updates!
Warwick Business School (WBS) is home to one of the world’s top-ranked Global Online MBA programs. With applicants from across the globe, WBS needed an admissions process that was not only efficient, but also flexible enough to accommodate diverse time zones and applicant backgrounds. At the same time, the school wanted to maintain the personal, welcoming experience that defines its approach to education.
Having previously relied on an online video interview platform that felt more suited to corporate hiring than university admissions, WBS sought a solution that aligned with their values.
"Warwick truly stands out to applicants for its warm, friendly, and welcoming atmosphere," said Paula Elmer, Assistant Business Development and Recruitment Manager at WBS. "Our goal was to reflect that same feeling throughout the admissions process."
In Kira Talent, WBS found an innovative solution that enables them to streamline their admissions process while maintaining the personal touch that's so important in evaluating applicants.
Investing in the right technology
Before implementing Kira, WBS relied on an online video interview platform originally designed for general recruitment purposes, rather than university admissions. While it served basic needs, it lacked the tailored features and functionality required to effectively assess prospective students in an academic context.
"Our old interviewing experience felt clunky and disconnected from our brand,” shared Trushali Chudasama, Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator at Warwick Business School.
"We were looking for something more education-focused," added Elmer. "Our previous platform felt more suited to corporate hiring, and it didn’t provide the right experience for students. We wanted a tool that felt like an extension of Warwick Business School."
"With Kira, we were able to tailor the experience—record our own videos, add our branding, and create an environment that feels like Warwick.”
"Kira is user-friendly and intuitive, and it makes candidates feel like they’re engaging with Warwick Business School, not an external system," explained Chudasama. “That branding continuity is invaluable."
"Last cycle, applicants rated their interview experience an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars," continued Elmer. “We received so many comments on how professional and polished it was compared to other systems applicants were encountering. We’ve even had applicants mention that they enjoyed the interview process and that it felt engaging, rather than like a standard admissions hurdle.”
Evaluating talent beyond the application
For WBS, Kira Talent has become an essential step in the admissions process.
"Kira has been fantastic for refining our selection process," shared Elmer. "If we’re on the fence about an applicant, we invite them to complete an Asynchronous Assessment in Kira to give them a chance to expand on their application.”
"Kira allows us to get a deeper understanding of candidates who might not shine on paper but have a lot to offer,” she continued. “It gives them the chance to showcase their personality and communication skills in a way that static documents simply can’t capture."
Optimizing admissions operations
Since implementing Kira, WBS has seen a significant improvement in efficiency.
"Before Kira, we had to manually set up interviews twice a week," Elmer explained. "Now, we simply click a button, and the applicant has 10 days to complete their interview.”
"Connecting with top applicants quickly has been instrumental in keeping them engaged and interested."
"And it’s not just the time savings; it’s the flexibility," added Elmer. "If we need to tweak a question or change a deadline, we can do it instantly, without waiting for external support. That level of control has made our process so much smoother."
"We’re able to easily adjust questions, update videos, and refine the process along the way," shared Chudasama.
"Setting up cohorts in Kira is so simple. The first time I did it, it took me just 15 minutes."
Reliable support when it matters
"It’s a competitive market for business schools," shared Elmer. "If an applicant encounters issues, they might turn to another school. Having Kira’s support available when needed reassures us that we’re offering a seamless experience."
"Kira’s customer service has been exceptional,” continued Chudasama. “Even with time zone differences, support is always quick and effective. That reflects well on us, as it ensures a smooth and professional experience for our candidates."
"When we were exploring potential interview platforms, we focused on key technical aspects, such as planned downtime and response times for critical issues," Elmer explained. "Kira’s exceptional reliability played a crucial role in our decision. Disruptions aren’t an option for us, and Kira ensures a seamless, uninterrupted experience."
Charting a course for successful business cohorts
Beyond its core functionality, Kira has inspired WBS to further personalize their admissions process.
"Kira has saved us time, improved the applicant experience, and helped us create a more personal, welcoming admissions journey.”
"We’ve started involving academics and current students in interviews to make the experience even more engaging," Elmer shared. "These were things we hadn’t considered before, but Kira made it easy to implement."
"Kira has also helped us think more strategically,” Chudasama added. “Because the process is so smooth, we can focus on improving the candidate experience — whether that’s through refining our questions, adding more interactive elements, or creating a more personalized touch."
“We’re really happy with the platform," Elmer added. "We’re now on our third cohort, and every cycle is better than the last."
The Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee is a brand new school with a rich history of promoting public service and governance education. Initially founded as the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, in 2023, the program evolved into a full-fledged school offering various graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificates.
“We are the first and only school of our kind in Tennessee,” shared Claire Morrell, the Admissions Coordinator at the University of Tennessee’s Baker School of Public Policy. “For students aspiring to careers in government, law, or national security, this program offers an incredible opportunity to begin their journey in college, gaining practical experience and specialized education that will set them up for success in their careers.”
To celebrate this landmark program, six esteemed Tennesseeans generously contributed funds to establish scholarships for students aspiring to become future leaders. To ensure these scholarships are awarded to the most deserving candidates, the Baker School looked to assess more than just academic qualifications.
"We wanted to incorporate a video component into the scholarship application process," Morell explained. "Our goal was to engage more meaningfully with the students, while avoiding any added hurdles or barriers.”
"We spoke to the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine, who use Kira Talent in their admissions process, and they highly recommended the platform,” she shared. “So we launched our inaugural selection cycle with Kira."
Awarding scholarships on a rolling basis
“This being our first year awarding scholarships, we didn’t have an established process,” Morell shared.
“Kira gave us the structure we needed to stay organized and efficient.”
“We didn’t come in with specific questions in mind, Kira helped us shape them based on the topics we wanted to cover,” she shared. “Then the team helped us build our structured assessment and set it up so that we could invite students to complete the assessment on a rolling basis.”
"As students transition off the waitlist, we aim to provide them with equal opportunities to apply for these scholarships," Morell explained. "It was essential for us to have a platform that allowed flexibility, without fixed submission dates or restrictive limitations."
Identifying value alignment
“Our goal is to find students who genuinely align with our program’s values,” shared Morell.
“We're named after Senator Howard Baker, and we carry on his legacy. We want to ensure that we’re awarding these scholarships to students who we can see carrying his vision forward to the next generation.”
“With Kira, we can see applicants’ leadership potential and passion firsthand,” she continued. “Since they only receive the questions as they begin recording their response, we’re able to assess their ability to communicate in the moment.”
"We're not looking for perfection," she clarified. "What matters is their ability to think quickly and adapt — an essential skill in public affairs."
"Once the assessment is submitted, it’s evaluated by two reviewers," Morell shared. “We assign one staff member, like myself, who works directly with students in an admissions or engagement capacity, and one faculty member to each applicant.”
“We do this to balance perspectives and keep our evaluation as fair as possible,” she explained. “Once we review the scores, our scholarship committee awards scholarships based on those results.”
Reducing administrative burden with an intuitive platform
Kira’s user-friendly platform was another selling point for Morell and her team, making it easier for faculty and staff to fairly and effectively evaluate candidates while balancing their other responsibilities.
"I've used other virtual interviewing platforms in previous roles, and they always felt a bit clunky."
“The Kira platform, on the other hand, is incredibly intuitive,” Morell shared.
Confident in Kira’s user-friendly design, Morell and her team opted to forgo a live training session, instead sharing a short training video, provided by Kira, with the reviewing team.
"Our review team consists of admissions staff and program faculty," Morell explained. "With the semester now underway, faculty are busy teaching, making their time quite limited. It’s not always practical to bring everyone together for a training session.”
“The Kira platform is so easy to navigate, even without a training video, our reviewers would have been fine,” added Morell. “That said, the training provided by Kira, along with the availability of their support team, added an extra layer of reassurance."
Since its inception in 2009, the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) has become one of the top-ranked programs of its kind. The 36 month, hybrid program offers Registered Nurses the flexibility to remain at home for the majority of their schooling, travelling periodically to one of two campuses for in-person classes, clinics, and labs.
"The number of students applying to our program has continued to grow year over year,” shared Dr. Peter Kallio, Program Director for the DNP-NA. “In 2009, our program began with just 12 students. Today, our cohorts have grown to approximately 50 students, placing us among the top 5% of Nurse Anesthesia programs in the U.S. by enrollment volume.”
“Our application numbers have consistently grown year after year,” Dr. Kallio shared. “In fact, last year, we received double the applications compared to the previous year. Kira Talent has been instrumental in helping us manage this growth effectively.”
Saving hours with a streamlined application
Before adopting Kira Talent, RFU's admissions process relied heavily on in-person interviews, demanding considerable time and resources from faculty, staff, and students. By transitioning to Kira’s Asynchronous Assessment, the program has streamlined its approach, enhancing efficiency and creating a smoother, more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
"Our in-person interviews spanned an entire week, involving all six faculty members, administrative staff, and several students," Dr. Kallio shared. "It was pulling them away from their responsibilities in the clinics and classrooms."
"Kira has significantly streamlined our admissions process, saving us days of work and greatly improving overall efficiency."
“The assessment integrated seamlessly into our existing admissions process,” he explained. “Students submit their initial application via NursingCAS. Once their transcripts are verified, our admissions team reviews the applications to determine who advances to the interview stage. Selected applicants then receive an automated invitation via Slate to complete the video assessment on the Kira Talent platform.”
“The integration with Slate works seamlessly,” Dr. Kallio noted. “It automates email invites for applicants and eliminates manual transcription of scores, saving us valuable time.”
“After an assessment is submitted, it’s assigned to three faculty members,” Dr. Kallio continued. “They can log into the Kira platform at their convenience to review the videos, provide feedback, and submit scores. The flexibility is remarkable—evaluations can be completed anytime, whether it’s in the morning, afternoon, or even on the weekend.”
Customized for stronger connections
Kira’s flexibility extends far beyond better scheduling—it empowers Rosalind Franklin University's Nurse Anesthesia program to design an assessment tailored precisely to their unique requirements.
“Kira’s customizable framework allowed us to easily transfer key pieces of our traditional interview.”
“Our Kira assessment consists of seven questions designed to evaluate key metrics like motivation, problem-solving, ethics, and communication,” Dr. Kallio continued. "Each question is presented by a current student through a recorded video within the Kira platform, giving applicants an authentic glimpse into the personality and spirit of our program."
"We also had the flexibility to customize the scoring structure and response weighting," he explained. "Each question was assigned a specific point value, contributing to a total score out of 40. This score serves as a crucial factor in the comprehensive assessment of the applicant.”
A success story worth sharing
Since implementing Kira Talent, the Rosalind Franklin University DNP-NA has seen widespread positive results.
"Our college has risen in national rankings, moving from the top 75 to the top 15."
“There’s a real buzz around our program right now,” shared Dr. Kallio. “It’s very exciting!”
“The feedback we’ve received from students has been overwhelmingly positive,” he added. “95% of our students are happy with the Kira assessment process, they like how flexible, efficient, and intuitive it is.”
"Our success with Kira has sparked interest from other programs within our college."
“Kira has been a game-changer for us and we continue to tout our successes with it,” Dr. Kallio shared. “We're the envy of our colleagues, from an applications perspective and how we process our admissions.”
Harnessing innovation to promote equity and fairness
Kira’s innovative integrity features add another level of interest for Dr. Kallio and his team.
“Kira helps us ensure a greater level of consistency and reliability of our scoring process.”
“With Kira's Inter-Rater Reliability Metrics, we’re alerted to significant score variations, allowing us to take action—whether by involving a fourth reviewer or reassigning the review—to ensure every applicant is assessed fairly and accurately," Dr. Kallio explained.
“We’re even working to identify trends in high-performing applicants from past cohorts,” Dr. Kallio shared. “We’ve started exploring Kira’s Advanced Insights tool to see how we can try using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help us better predict which students will succeed in our program.”
Kira’s Advanced Insights feature evaluates applicant videos by analyzing speech, text, and both verbal and non-verbal cues. Using the Big Five personality traits model as a framework, it generates a detailed personality assessment for each candidate.
"We're eager to explore the role AI can play in the admissions process," Dr. Kallio continued. "Whatever direction it takes, we aim to stay ahead of the curve—and Kira is helping us do that."