Admissions committee
← Interview review

Karim Mansour

Bachelor of Science in Engineering Systems and Management

Syria · American, GPA 3.4 · TOEFL 80

Interviewed 14 October 2026 at 0:01 · 5 min

Summary

Karim is a motivated applicant who connects engineering and business and has taken a clear initiative by starting a math study group. Karim's English is understandable but hesitant, and the reasons for choosing Khalifa University rest mainly on the scholarship.

Check before deciding

  • Karim could not describe program details beyond a vague memory of the website, so the committee may want to check genuine interest in the program.
  • The study group's outcome, that some people got better marks, is unquantified and could be verified if the committee needs stronger evidence of leadership.

Khalifa University interview criteria

  1. Proficiency in English communication

    3/5

    Karim communicates understandable ideas in English but with frequent hesitations, grammar slips, and searches for words.

    “I learned that you need to, how do you say, estimate? Like the cost, and then you check if people will buy.”

    Karim, in the interview

  2. Familiarity with the relevant profession

    3/5

    Karim describes the blend of engineering and business and gives one relevant example about machine downtime, but the description stays general and Karim is unsure of the roles.

    “Like they make things work better, the business and the engineering together.”

    Karim, in the interview

  3. Commitment to pursue a professional degree program

    3/5

    Karim states a desire to learn and a record of working hard through difficulty, but the answer does not address commitment to this specific degree in depth.

    “I want to learn properly and not just get the scholarship.”

    Karim, in the interview

  4. Reasons for choosing Khalifa University

    2/5

    Karim's main reason is the scholarship, with little research on the program beyond a vague recollection of the website.

    “I didn't check other universities so much, to be honest.”

    Karim, in the interview

  5. Evaluation of potential leadership capabilities

    4/5

    Karim started a study group and grew it to about twelve people with a clear personal role, though the reported result of better marks is vague.

    “I was the one who started a study group for math. Nobody was going to do it.”

    Karim, in the interview

Full transcript

23 turns
  1. Nura

    Hi Karim, 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 Engineering Systems and Management?

  2. Karim

    Uh, okay. So, um, I like how it is engineering but also business, you know? Like, both things. My cousin, he studies something similar in Damascus, no, not similar, but he talks about, uh, management a lot and I thought, maybe this is good for me.

  3. Nura

    Thank you. What does someone with this degree actually do day to day?

  4. Karim

    Day to day... um. They work in companies. They make the, the plans, the money plans and also the machines plans? Like they make things work better, the business and the engineering together. I think they, uh, sit in offices and also go to factories sometimes.

  5. Nura

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

  6. Karim

    Example... maybe a factory is losing money because the machines stop too much. So the engineer fixes the machine and the business person, um, decides how much to buy, like the parts. Something like that. I'm not sure it's always both people, maybe one person does both.

  7. Nura

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

  8. Karim

    Outside class... I did a, uh, school competition last year. It was about a small business idea, like a food truck. We made a presentation with the numbers. I did the numbers part, because I'm good at math, but my friend did the design.

  9. Nura

    What did you learn from the numbers part?

  10. Karim

    Um, I learned that you need to, how do you say, estimate? Like the cost, and then you check if people will buy. If the cost is too high then you lose. It was hard for me because I didn't know the terms very well in English. We did it in English, but my English is, uh, better now I think.

  11. Nura

    Thank you. Why Khalifa University, and not another university?

  12. Karim

    Okay. So, the main thing is the scholarship. My family, we, um, have some problems with money since we left Syria, so the scholarship is very important for me. Also Khalifa is good, I know it is a good university in the UAE. I didn't check other universities so much, to be honest.

  13. Nura

    I understand, and thank you for being open. Beyond the scholarship, what do you know about the program itself?

  14. Karim

    Um... it is a program with engineering and management. The, the classes are in English. I think there are projects in the second year, maybe with companies? I'm not sure exactly. I read it on the website but I don't remember all the details, sorry.

  15. Nura

    That's okay. Tell me about a time you led others or took the first step on something.

  16. Karim

    Hmm. In my school in, uh, the new school in Turkey, I was the one who started a study group for math. Nobody was going to do it. So I asked the teacher and I made a group chat and I told people when we meet. Only like four people came at first, but then more came.

  17. Nura

    What happened after more people started coming?

  18. Karim

    Um, we made the group bigger, like maybe twelve people. We did practice problems before the exam. I think some people got better marks. I was a little nervous to lead, because I am not the loudest person, but I wanted to try.

  19. Nura

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

  20. Karim

    Yes, I think... I work hard, even when it's difficult. I moved schools many times because of the situation at home, and I still kept my grades okay. I want to learn properly and not just get the scholarship. I hope you can see I am serious.

  21. Nura

    Thank you, Karim. That's clear, and it's helpful to hear it in your own words.

  22. Karim

    Thank you. Um, thank you for the interview. I hope it was okay, my English was not so perfect.

  23. Nura

    It was good. Best of luck with your application, and have a great day.