Admissions committee
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Bilal Siddiqui

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Pakistan · A-Levels, BBC · IELTS 6.0

Interviewed 11 October 2026 at 11:58 · 5 min

Summary

Bilal is curious about electrical engineering, sparked by watching a parent fix an inverter, but is still unsure what the field involves and whether it is the right choice. The interview offered limited evidence of depth in technical experience, university-specific motivation, or leadership beyond one group presentation.

Check before deciding

  • Bilal's robotics role was limited to holding wires and Bilal said they did not understand the sensors, so technical experience is thin.
  • Bilal's commitment to electrical engineering is unconfirmed and the committee may want to check it.

Khalifa University interview criteria

  1. Proficiency in English communication

    3/5

    Bilal communicates understandably but often hesitates and relies on fillers like "um" and "like".

    “I learned I can talk in front of people, kind of.”

    Bilal, in the interview

  2. Familiarity with the relevant profession

    3/5

    Bilal gives one relevant example of electrical engineering work, but it is secondhand from a video and Bilal said they were not sure of the day-to-day work.

    “Like, maybe designing a solar panel system for a building? I saw a video about it.”

    Bilal, in the interview

  3. Commitment to pursue a professional degree program

    2/5

    Bilal's interest appears tentative and partly based on parental encouragement, with no clear commitment to an engineering degree.

    “I just need to find out if this is the right field.”

    Bilal, in the interview

  4. Reasons for choosing Khalifa University

    2/5

    Bilal's reasons for choosing Khalifa University are mostly convenience, a cousin's recommendation, and the English language, with no university-specific reasons.

    “it's close to home, in Abu Dhabi.”

    Bilal, in the interview

  5. Evaluation of potential leadership capabilities

    3/5

    Bilal describes one thin example of stepping up in a group project, with a modest personal role and limited reflection.

    “Once in a group project nobody wanted to present, so I said I would.”

    Bilal, in the interview

Full transcript

22 turns
  1. Nura

    Hi Bilal, 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. Bilal

    Hi, uh, thanks. So, I think it started when my dad fixed our inverter during a power cut? Like the lights just came back on and I was like, how did that happen.

  3. Nura

    That sounds like a good moment to be curious. What did you find interesting about it?

  4. Bilal

    Umm, I don't know really. It was just interesting. And my parents also said electrical engineering is a good field, so... yeah.

  5. Nura

    What do you think an electrical engineer actually does day to day?

  6. Bilal

    Uh, like, work with electricity? Build power stuff? Maybe at a company, with circuits and things. I'm not totally sure, to be honest.

  7. Nura

    Thanks for being honest about that. Can you give me one specific example of that kind of work?

  8. Bilal

    Like, maybe designing a solar panel system for a building? I saw a video about it. I think that's what they do.

  9. Nura

    Okay, thank you. Next, what have you done outside class that relates to electrical engineering?

  10. Bilal

    Hmm. Not a lot. I did a school robotics thing one time, but we lost in the first round. And I watch some YouTube videos sometimes.

  11. Nura

    What was your part in the robotics project?

  12. Bilal

    Mostly I held the wires, to be honest. My teammate did the coding. I didn't really understand the sensors, which was kind of bad.

  13. Nura

    What made you consider Khalifa University over other universities?

  14. Bilal

    Um, it's close to home, in Abu Dhabi. And my cousin said it's a good university, and the main language is English, so... I think that helps.

  15. Nura

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

  16. Bilal

    Uh, in school? Once in a group project nobody wanted to present, so I said I would. I was scared, though, like really scared.

  17. Nura

    What happened after you stepped up?

  18. Bilal

    We got good marks, I think. Our teacher said my slides were okay. I learned I can talk in front of people, kind of.

  19. Nura

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

  20. Bilal

    Um, I'm not sure I'm the best at this, but I work hard when I actually care about something. I want to learn how things work. I just need to find out if this is the right field.

  21. Nura

    Thank you, Bilal, that was really helpful. Best of luck with your application.

  22. Bilal

    Thank you, ma'am. Bye.