Three years ago, The York School admission committee decided to try something different. As the number of students applying to the school continued to rise, the small team realized the competitive edge to be gained from adding a timed video and timed written assessment to their admissions process.
With their online assessments through Kira Talent, The York School is able to more confidently determine applicant fit and create a unique experience for students.
“Kira helps tell a student’s story beyond just a metric."
"I think that helps us be more informed and confident when it comes to putting the right kids into our classrooms,” shared Praveen Muruganandan, Director of Admission and Advancement for The York School.
Building better classes with more insight
The admission committee is able to use their video assessments in Kira to gather insight into the character and personality of their applicants. Gaining a deeper understanding of who a student is, before they ever set foot on campus, helps The York School make more well-informed decisions about prospective students.
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Knowing that Kira helps his team make sound decisions based on standardized criteria is also a key benefit for Muruganandan.
“Kira helps us mitigate admissions bias reinforcing alignment within the team and structuring scoring so that it's set against the criteria we've set."
"It’s nice to know that the team is able to make pretty good decisions based on those review points,” Muruganandan added.
Creating an admissions process unlike any other
As the first school in Canada accredited to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) from junior kindergarten to university entrance, innovation is part of The York School's DNA. It then follows that providing the best possible experience for their students starts with a unique admissions process.
Incorporating Kira assessments helps The York School distinguish themselves from other schools because “the resounding response from students is that it’s the best part of the application experience. It provides them with a unique opportunity to fully express themselves,” said Muruganandan.
The format of Kira video interviews requires students to think on their feet and be willing to work outside their comfort zone, giving the admissions team an opportunity to identify the attributes that set each student apart during the application process.
Not only is the admission committee able to provide a unique experience for students right from the start, they’re able to do it in a way that doesn’t overwhelm their small team. Kira assessments enable them to increase their efficiency so much that Muruganandan likens the hours they’ve saved to having an additional person on their team.
Preparing the world’s future leaders
With top programs at universities including London Business School, UC Berkeley, and Yale all requiring timed video and written responses in their admissions process, The York School is also giving their students early exposure to the kind of admissions criteria they’ll likely encounter as they progress to higher education.
Staying true to their history of innovation, the school provides a highly memorable admissions experience that sets the tone for an extraordinary education.
