School of Law offers online admission interview option

Peter Kotecki, Assistant Campus Editor

Northwestern School of Law launched a registration portal in September for the 2016 admissions cycle, becoming the first law school to offer online video interviews. The portal will close in March.

Although the School of Law does not require admissions interviews, the video interviews are another option for applicants wishing to do so. Applicants still may request traditional in-person interviews.

The School of Law will use Kira Academic, an online video interviewing and talent assessment platform, to conduct the interviews.

Johann Lee, assistant dean at the School of Law’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, said in a news release that the school believes everyone should have the opportunity to complete an admissions interview.

“One of the main reasons cited by applicants for not doing an interview is availability both on-campus and off,” Lee said in a news release. “The video interview basically gives us unlimited capacity for applicants to conduct interviews at any time and location at their convenience — thereby, removing the hurdle of availability.”

The interviews will last between 30 and 45 minutes, during which applicants will answer six questions. Interview questions address topics such as maturity, motivation, empathy, problem solving and resilience, Lee said.

Reviewers will be able to view the videos at any time if they have questions about a particular interview, Lee said.

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