Admissions committee
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Ethan Mwangi

Bachelor of Science in Energy Engineering

Kenya · IB Diploma, 34 points · Native English

Interviewed 14 October 2026 at 11:58 · 7 min

Summary

Ethan is a clear communicator with a personal motivation rooted in a village without electricity, and has taken real initiative in an NGO lamp project and a solar cooker science fair project. The applicant's technical familiarity is somewhat secondhand, and the reasons for choosing Khalifa University are relevant but partly tied to a cousin living in Abu Dhabi.

Check before deciding

  • Ethan admits being weaker in math on paper, so the committee should check readiness for the program's math demands.
  • Ethan's reasons for choosing Khalifa University are partly convenience-based, so the committee may want to probe interest beyond the cousin in Abu Dhabi.

Khalifa University interview criteria

  1. Proficiency in English communication

    4/5

    Ethan speaks clearly and fluently with some filler words like "um" and "like", and answers are easy to follow.

    “I learned that testing is most of the work.”

    Ethan, in the interview

  2. Familiarity with the relevant profession

    3/5

    Ethan knows a real energy engineering task from the solar lamp work, but describes it secondhand and admits being unsure of daily duties.

    “The engineers had to calculate how much sun the panels get in a day and how long the battery lasts at night.”

    Ethan, in the interview

  3. Commitment to pursue a professional degree program

    3/5

    Ethan shows commitment through the solar cooker project and a stated willingness to work hard, though the pursuit of this degree is stated only in general terms.

    “I'm willing to work hard on the hard parts, if that makes sense.”

    Ethan, in the interview

  4. Reasons for choosing Khalifa University

    3/5

    Ethan gives a relevant reason tied to Masdar City's renewable energy work, but the cousin in Abu Dhabi suggests a convenience factor is also part of the choice.

    “I like that the engineering is connected to real projects there.”

    Ethan, in the interview

  5. Evaluation of potential leadership capabilities

    4/5

    Ethan took a clear personal initiative when the team leader left, organized village outreach, and finished the lamp list in about a month.

    “So I just started calling people and making a list of who needed a lamp.”

    Ethan, in the interview

Full transcript

20 turns
  1. Nura

    Hi Ethan, 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 Energy Engineering?

  2. Ethan

    Okay, so, um... when I was in Form Three I went to a village near my grandmother's place, and they had no electricity. Kids were doing homework by kerosene lamp, and the smoke was like, really bad.

  3. Nura

    That sounds like it stuck with you. What does an energy engineer actually do day to day?

  4. Ethan

    Uh, I think they design systems, like power for places like my village, and they also check if things work properly. I'm not sure about the daily details, honestly.

  5. Nura

    That's fair. Can you give me one specific example of something an energy engineer would work on?

  6. Ethan

    Like, the solar lamps we installed. The engineers had to calculate how much sun the panels get in a day and how long the battery lasts at night. That's the part I found interesting.

  7. Nura

    Thanks. What have you done outside class that connects to energy?

  8. Ethan

    So, with the NGO I helped install the lamps, and I also did a science fair project on, um, a solar cooker. It didn't work well the first time.

  9. Nura

    What went wrong the first time?

  10. Ethan

    The reflector was too small, so the pot never got hot enough. We changed the angle and added foil, and then it finally boiled water, slowly. I learned that testing is most of the work.

  11. Nura

    Why Khalifa University, and not another university?

  12. Ethan

    I looked at a few. But KU is in Abu Dhabi, and Masdar City is close by, where they do a lot of renewable energy work. I like that the engineering is connected to real projects there. Also my cousin lives in Abu Dhabi, so... yeah.

  13. Nura

    Good. Can you tell me about a time you led others or took the first step on something?

  14. Ethan

    Um, in the NGO, our team leader left for a few weeks, and nobody wanted to organize the village meetings. So I just started calling people and making a list of who needed a lamp.

  15. Nura

    What happened after you started?

  16. Ethan

    People were hesitant at first, because some thought it was a government thing. I went with the older teachers to explain it, and then more people came. We finished the list in like a month.

  17. Nura

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

  18. Ethan

    I think... I'm not the strongest in math on paper, but I'm better when I can build things. I'm willing to work hard on the hard parts, if that makes sense.

  19. Nura

    It does. Thank you, Ethan. That was a great conversation, and you'll hear from the admissions team soon.

  20. Ethan

    Thank you, Nura. Thanks for the time.