Kira Applicant Experience Report 2022

Wondering whether the best route forward for your admissions process is virtual or in-person? Discover what 2022’s applicants thought of their experience interviewing virtually in Kira Talent.

At Kira Talent, we always keep applicants top-of-mind. After all, we wouldn’t be the world’s leading holistic admissions solution designed for higher education without over 1 million applicants giving us an average satisfaction rating of 4.6/5!

Although admissions teams love the efficiency and ease that Kira brings to their process, more often than not, it’s the glowing feedback from their applicants that drives their decision to deliver their interviews and assessments through Kira Talent year after year. Discover what 2022’s applicants had to say about their experience with Kira.

What was new for applicants in 2022?

2022 brought a ton of new features to enhance the applicant experience in Kira Talent. From a revamped Live Interviewing experience to a new quantitative skills diagnostic, applicants interacted with Kira in more ways than ever this year.

With all these updates, one thing remained constant. Applicants loved their experience in Kira Talent.

For the third year in a row, applicants gave Kira an average rating of 4.6/5 stars.

The consistency of this rating above 4.5 year after year further validates the work we do with our partner schools to ensure that applicants have an accessible and engaging admissions experience, despite the many disruptions to higher education admissions over the last few years.

In fact, only 4% of applicants said they would have preferred an in-person interview experience.

As schools decide what the future of their admissions process is going to look like, it’s this kind of feedback that makes us confident that more than ever applicants want an admissions experience that is accessible and engaging.

By the numbers

90.7% of applicants rated their Kira experience either “Great” (4/5) or “Exceptional” (5/5)

A small but mighty 0.4% increase from last year, we are so proud that as we reach more and more applicants year after year — in fact, in 2022 we surpassed 1 million applicants having completed an interview or assessment in Kira — the Kira experience continues to engage and delight them.

The average rating was “Exceptional” (4.6/5)

Another year, another “Exceptional” rating from our applicants. As we continue to evolve the platform and expand our product offerings, this vote of confidence from applicants shows us that we’re on the right track.

1.8% of applicants rated their experience as “Poor” (1/5)

This small percentage often represents our best source of inspiration for future platform enhancements and feature additions.

From enhanced privacy options to new information-sharing abilities, we’ve already added some new features to address the aspects of Kira that these applicants weren’t loving.

96.5% of inquiries were solved instantly by Charlie

What’s one of our clients’ favourite features in Kira? Our 24/7 applicant and reviewer support!

From answering general process questions to solving network snafus, our beloved Charlie the chatbot is always available to instantly answer applicants’ most commonly asked questions. And in the rare case where Charlie doesn’t have the answer? Kira’s applicant support team is waiting in the wings to ensure applicants get the help they need without taking valuable time away from your team.

Over 92% of applicants who left feedback on support rated their experience as "Great", given the options of "Great", "Okay", and "Not Good".

Another 1% increase over last year’s score, we’re thrilled that our ongoing commitment to providing top-tier applicant support is being felt by applicants.

By the comments

As always, we know that numbers on paper only offer a glimpse of the full picture. So just like we do in the admissions process, we’re giving applicants the opportunity to tell you about their experience in their own words.

Applicants loved the simplicity and accessibility of the Kira platform

Goodbye jam-packed interview travel schedule! So long, confusing list of Zoom links! With so many tasks and tribulations for them to handle during the admissions season, applicants loved that Kira made it so easy for them to share their experiences with their prospective programs.

“This platform is so well organized! I could find all the information and materials quickly and easily.”

“I also took the CASPer for some applications and felt that it was very rushed and stressful. Kira was much more relaxed, with adequate time to think and respond.”

“I liked that the platform wasn't too busy. The simplicity made it easy to use, and removed stress from the assessment.”

The suite of practice questions was especially appreciated…

“I thought I would be very nervous but the practice videos and writing part really helped me. Thank you Kira team!”

“I really liked the practice questions. They lightened the mood and made me more relaxed for the big thing.”

“This platform is amazing! I especially appreciated the practice questions.”

We know that interview day will always come with a little stress, but we believe that none of it should ever be process related. Year after year, applicants rave about our built-in practice module and how much it helped them minimize stress and put their best foot forward on interview day.

So was Kira’s on-hand applicant support

“I'm a student who requires extra time on this assessment, the Kira team did a great job getting that set up for me.”

“A very supportive and hands-on platform to perform interviews on.”

When your applicants are happy, we’re happy! That’s why a member of the Kira team is always on hand to help applicants with any questions or concerns they may have during their assessment process.

We even got a few cool suggestions for new features!

“I think the program should auto-capitalize after periods. Overall, the setup was really nice and easy to use, so great job!”

“The interview was great! One thing you could add is a spot for us to take quick notes during the interview while preparing the answers.”

Noted! We’re always adding new features and enhancements to the Kira platform. Comments like these help guide us toward an even better applicant experience.

Overall, applicants really loved the virtual experience

“A very good platform. No need to do it in person when you have Kira!”

“I really enjoyed doing an interview in this format. I felt calmer than in other interview settings and I loved having time to think about my responses.”

“This platform was probably one of the best interview experiences I have ever had. I hope to come across more places that use this platform.”

Comments like these are a big part of why we do what we do. In addition to making the admissions process more efficient and effective for admissions teams, we’re on a mission to improve the admissions experience for applicants by making it simplified and more accessible.