Admissions committee
← Interview review

Arjun Menon

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

India · CBSE, 94% · IELTS 7.5

Interviewed 16 October 2026 at 5:57 · 5 min

Summary

Arjun shows strong hands-on electrical motivation through a real inverter repair and a robotics project, and communicates clearly despite self-described developing English. The main gaps are a thinner answer on Khalifa University's specific programs and a leadership example limited to a single classroom setting.

Check before deciding

  • Arjun's reasons for choosing Khalifa University leaned partly on family proximity and Arjun had not yet reviewed the program course list, so the committee may want to probe program-specific interest.
  • The leadership example is a single classroom episode, so the committee may want to ask about leadership in a larger or less structured setting.

Khalifa University interview criteria

  1. Proficiency in English communication

    4/5

    Arjun answered clearly and fluently with some filler words and self-described developing English, but the communication was easy to follow throughout.

    “I'm a hard worker and I actually fix things, I don't just read about them.”

    Arjun, in the interview

  2. Familiarity with the relevant profession

    4/5

    Arjun gave a specific, technically sound troubleshooting example from the uncle's shop and described measuring voltage and current, though unsure about the daily work.

    “I measured the DC input and the voltage was dropping under load, so it was a capacitor on the board that was already bulging.”

    Arjun, in the interview

  3. Commitment to pursue a professional degree program

    4/5

    Arjun shows sustained interest through self-driven fixing, a robotics club build, and a stated focus on power systems and renewable energy.

    “I want a place where I can build real systems and not only do theory, you know?”

    Arjun, in the interview

  4. Reasons for choosing Khalifa University

    3/5

    Arjun gave a relevant reason tied to research and English-medium teaching but also cited family proximity and admitted limited knowledge of the engineering programs.

    “I read that it's a research university and the teaching is in English, so I can work in labs early.”

    Arjun, in the interview

  5. Evaluation of potential leadership capabilities

    4/5

    Arjun described a clear personal role in turning around a failing lab group and reflected on leading best through a clear procedure, though the example is classroom-scale.

    “So I, like, asked the teacher if we could redo the setup, and I made a short checklist for everyone to follow before switching on the power.”

    Arjun, in the interview

Full transcript

21 turns
  1. Nura

    Hi Arjun, 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 Electrical Engineering?

  2. Arjun

    Umm, okay. So, my uncle has a small electronics shop in Abu Dhabi, near the old market, and people bring him solar inverters that aren't working. I started just watching him, and then I was like, wait, why does it stop? So I got really into it.

  3. Nura

    What do you think an electrical engineer actually does on a normal day?

  4. Arjun

    I think... they design circuits, or they test systems and find where the fault is. Like, they measure things, they check the voltage, the current, and then they fix or improve the design. Maybe they also write code for, uh, control systems? I'm not fully sure about the daily part.

  5. Nura

    Can you give me one specific example from the shop?

  6. Arjun

    Yes. One inverter kept shutting off after like ten minutes in the afternoon. My uncle thought it was the panel. I measured the DC input and the voltage was dropping under load, so it was a capacitor on the board that was already bulging. We replaced it and it ran fine. That was the moment I thought, okay, this is what I want.

  7. Nura

    What have you done outside class toward this field?

  8. Arjun

    I joined the robotics club at my school last year. We built a line-following robot with Arduino. At first our motor driver kept burning out, which was annoying, but I figured out we were drawing too much current through the wrong pin.

  9. Nura

    What was the hardest part of that project for you?

  10. Arjun

    Honestly, the teamwork part. I'm very, um, detail-focused, so I wanted to check every wire myself. My teammates wanted to just try things fast. We had to find a middle point, and I learned to let some things go and test them in a smarter order.

  11. Nura

    Why Khalifa University, and not another university?

  12. Arjun

    Uh, the first reason is my family is here in Abu Dhabi, so it's close to home, and my parents would be comfortable. But also, I read that it's a research university and the teaching is in English, so I can work in labs early. I think that matters for me.

  13. Nura

    What do you know about the engineering programs there?

  14. Arjun

    Not as much as I should, to be honest. I know they have labs and research groups, and I want to look at the power systems side, maybe renewable energy. I haven't read the full course list yet, so I should do that before the decision.

  15. Nura

    That's fair, thank you for being honest. Tell me about a time you led others or took the first step on something.

  16. Arjun

    Okay. In grade eleven, our physics lab group was failing the circuit practical. Nobody wanted to speak up. So I, like, asked the teacher if we could redo the setup, and I made a short checklist for everyone to follow before switching on the power.

  17. Nura

    What happened after you made that checklist?

  18. Arjun

    Our next practical was fine, and the teacher even showed it to the other groups. It wasn't a big thing, but I felt good. I think I'm better at leading when I have a clear procedure, not when I'm just talking loudly.

  19. Nura

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

  20. Arjun

    Yes. I know my English on the program side is still developing, but I'm a hard worker and I actually fix things, I don't just read about them. I want a place where I can build real systems and not only do theory, you know?

  21. Nura

    Thank you, Arjun. That was a clear and thoughtful conversation. Best of luck with your application.