Admissions committee
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Layla Khoury

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Lebanon · Lebanese Baccalaureate, 17.2 of 20 · IELTS 7.0

Interviewed 15 October 2026 at 21:01 · 6 min

Summary

Layla is a self-driven applicant whose interest in chemical engineering grew from a household water shortage and a school water-testing project. The applicant showed strong leadership by starting a recycling group and adjusting it when participation dropped, with clear reasons for choosing Khalifa University.

Check before deciding

  • The water-testing project was a small, teacher-supervised school activity, so the committee may want to confirm the applicant's own role in it.
  • The applicant's knowledge of what chemical engineers do day to day was admittedly uncertain and mostly general.

Khalifa University interview criteria

  1. Proficiency in English communication

    4/5

    The applicant communicated clearly and fluently in English, with some filler words like 'um' and 'uh' but no real breakdowns.

    “So I think it started two summers ago, when we had water cuts at home for almost a week.”

    Layla, in the interview

  2. Familiarity with the relevant profession

    4/5

    The applicant gave a specific desalination example (membrane fouling) and described plausible engineering work, though they admitted being unsure of the details and drew on reading rather than hands-on experience.

    “It's called fouling, I read about it.”

    Layla, in the interview

  3. Commitment to pursue a professional degree program

    4/5

    The applicant tied their interest in chemical engineering to a personal water-access motivation and a self-run school water project, showing sustained interest in the field.

    “I'm someone who doesn't stop when something is hard.”

    Layla, in the interview

  4. Reasons for choosing Khalifa University

    4/5

    The applicant gave specific reasons for choosing Khalifa University, including early research lab access and its water and membrane work, and compared it with options in Lebanon.

    “I like that it's a research university in Abu Dhabi, and that students can get into research labs early, not just in the last years.”

    Layla, in the interview

  5. Evaluation of potential leadership capabilities

    5/5

    The applicant started a school recycling group on their own initiative, wrote the plan, and adapted it after participation fell from about ten people to three, explaining each decision.

    “So I made the schedule easier and gave each person just one day a week.”

    Layla, in the interview

Full transcript

20 turns
  1. Nura

    Hi Layla, 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 Chemical Engineering?

  2. Layla

    Um, okay. So I think it started two summers ago, when we had water cuts at home for almost a week. We had to buy water tanks, and I kept thinking, there is so much sea water around us, so why is there not enough clean water?

  3. Nura

    That sounds stressful. What do you think a chemical engineer actually does day to day?

  4. Layla

    Uh, I think they design plants, maybe? Like, they work in labs testing things, and they check the processes so everything runs right. And they write a lot of reports, I think. I'm not totally sure about the details.

  5. Nura

    Can you give me one specific example of a problem they might solve?

  6. Layla

    Okay, so in desalination, the membranes get dirty over time. It's called fouling, I read about it. An engineer would maybe change the pressure, or find a chemical to clean them, so the membrane lasts longer and uses less energy.

  7. Nura

    That's a good example. What have you done outside of class that connects to this field?

  8. Layla

    Last year I did a water project with my chemistry teacher. We tested water samples from different taps in our school, for pH and, uh, how much dissolved solids there were. Some taps were really not good.

  9. Nura

    What did you find, and what did you take away from it?

  10. Layla

    Mostly the old taps on the top floor had higher readings. So I learned that a result is only useful if you test the same way every time. Like, if I change one thing, the whole number changes. I was surprised how careful you have to be.

  11. Nura

    Why Khalifa University, and not another university?

  12. Layla

    Hmm. I like that it's a research university in Abu Dhabi, and that students can get into research labs early, not just in the last years. And they have a lot of work on water and membranes, which is exactly what I'm interested in. I also looked at a few places in Lebanon, but this felt more practical for me.

  13. Nura

    Thank you. Tell me about a time you led others or took the first step on something.

  14. Layla

    Okay, so the recycling project at my school. Nobody was really sorting the plastic, and the bins were all mixed. I asked the principal if I could start a small group, and she said yes, but only if we had a plan. So I made a plan with a schedule and labels for the bins.

  15. Nura

    What was the hardest part of getting that started?

  16. Layla

    Honestly, getting people to keep doing it. At the beginning, like ten people came, and after a month it was only me and two friends. So I made the schedule easier and gave each person just one day a week. That helped a lot.

  17. Nura

    Is there anything you want the committee to know about you that we haven't covered?

  18. Layla

    Um, I guess I'm someone who doesn't stop when something is hard. My family had a difficult year, with money and the electricity. So I'm used to working with less and figuring things out. I think that's important for engineering, right? Making do and still getting results.

  19. Nura

    Thank you, Layla. That's all the questions I have for today.

  20. Layla

    Thank you, Nura. This was really good, I appreciate it.