Admissions committee
← Interview review

Omar Haddad

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Jordan · IB Diploma, 39 points · IELTS 7.5

Interviewed 17 October 2026 at 11:59 · 5 min

Summary

Omar is a self-driven applicant with hands-on mechanical work, from an early engine repair to a wind turbine project and a robotics club captaincy. Omar gave specific, reflective examples and clear reasons for choosing Khalifa University.

Check before deciding

  • The leadership account of a manual robot takeover and team split is self-reported, so the committee may want to verify it with a club or competition reference.

Khalifa University interview criteria

  1. Proficiency in English communication

    4/5

    The applicant answered clearly and fluently in English, with some filler words and speech that the applicant said runs fast when excited.

    “I just wanted to know how all the parts connect and why they move the way they do.”

    Omar, in the interview

  2. Familiarity with the relevant profession

    4/5

    The applicant described the design, modeling, testing, and failure-fixing cycle and gave a specific wind turbine project with a clear personal role.

    “We designed the blades in CAD, and we tested three shapes, and the one we thought would be best actually spun slower.”

    Omar, in the interview

  3. Commitment to pursue a professional degree program

    4/5

    The applicant showed sustained engineering commitment through robotics club work since the age of twelve, though the answer on the degree itself was brief.

    “I really want to learn from people who know more than me, and I think Khalifa would give me that.”

    Omar, in the interview

  4. Reasons for choosing Khalifa University

    4/5

    The applicant gave several specific reasons, including the engineering focus, labs, research, and English-medium teaching tied to international work.

    “What I liked about Khalifa is it's a science and technology university, so the focus is really on engineering.”

    Omar, in the interview

  5. Evaluation of potential leadership capabilities

    5/5

    The applicant took a self-driven decision under pressure, then explained the team split, the sensor checks, and the judge briefing in detail.

    “Nobody wanted to be the one to decide, so I said, okay, let's turn off the auto mode and I'll drive it manually for the match.”

    Omar, in the interview

Full transcript

19 turns
  1. Nura

    Hi Omar, I'm Nura, and I'll be doing your Khalifa University admissions interview today. It takes about six minutes and there are no trick questions. To start, what first got you interested in Mechanical Engineering?

  2. Omar

    Um, okay. I think it started when my uncle's car broke down, and he let me help take the engine apart. I was like, twelve? And I just wanted to know how all the parts connect and why they move the way they do.

  3. Nura

    That's a great starting point. What does a mechanical engineer actually do day to day?

  4. Omar

    So, I think they design things, right? Then they model them, test them, and fix them when something fails. There's a lot of math, and CAD software, and, uh, working with teams, which I didn't expect honestly.

  5. Nura

    Can you give me one specific example of that kind of work?

  6. Omar

    Yeah. Last year my cousin and I built a small wind turbine for a school project. We designed the blades in CAD, and we tested three shapes, and the one we thought would be best actually spun slower. So we changed the blade angle, like, a few degrees, and it worked better.

  7. Nura

    Thank you. Outside of class, what have you done toward engineering?

  8. Omar

    I'm the captain of our robotics club. We build a robot every season for a regional competition. I do a lot of the mechanical side, like the drive system and the arm, and I also, um, make sure everyone gets to try things, not just the same two people.

  9. Nura

    What was the hardest part of that?

  10. Omar

    Honestly, the first season we had a lot of problems. The arm kept snapping, and people were kind of frustrated. So we stopped and did a proper stress analysis, and we made it, uh, out of a different material, and that fixed it.

  11. Nura

    Why Khalifa University, and not another university?

  12. Omar

    I looked at a few places in Jordan and in Europe. What I liked about Khalifa is it's a science and technology university, so the focus is really on engineering. Also the labs and the research opportunities, and that most of the teaching is in English, which is good for me because I want to work internationally.

  13. Nura

    Can you tell me about a time you led others or took the first step?

  14. Omar

    At our regional competition, we had a problem with the software a few hours before our match. Nobody wanted to be the one to decide, so I said, okay, let's turn off the auto mode and I'll drive it manually for the match. It was risky, but I just, I took the first step.

  15. Nura

    What did you do after you made that decision?

  16. Omar

    I split the team. Two people checked the sensors, and I walked everyone through the manual controls again, like, twice. Then I told the judges what we were doing, so nobody was surprised. We didn't win, but we finished the match.

  17. Nura

    Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about you?

  18. Omar

    Um, I guess that I'm not perfect. I talk fast when I'm excited, and I make mistakes, but I always go back and check my work. I really want to learn from people who know more than me, and I think Khalifa would give me that.

  19. Nura

    Thank you, Omar. That's all the time we have today. Good luck, and you will hear from the admissions team soon.