University calls in alumni and artificial intelligence to help sift through overwhelming number of qualified candidates

A university in Ontario is learning more about potential students due to an overwhelming number of qualified applicants. CTV’s Krista Simpson reports.

A university in Waterloo, Ont. is getting help from some of its alumni and artificial intelligence to review applications for some of its most competitive programs.

“The grades are very good. And there’s lots of students with the same grade, same average. So you need another layer, to tell those students apart and make the selection,” André Jardin, associate registrar of undergrad admissions at the University of Waterloo, said.

That’s where the Admission Information Form (AIF) comes in. Applicants are asked five questions, and must write answers about a passion or strong interest, their history of community involvement, an experience where they were treated unfairly or witnessed someone else being treated unfairly, their goal for attending the university and extracurricular activities.

The form is required when applying for some of the university’s most competitive programs in the faculties of math and engineering and two aviation programs, where getting in often requires grades in the mid to high 90s.

Following a pilot project last year, the university has recruiting alumni to read over and score the forms.

“It’s all depersonalized,” Jardin explained. “They don’t see anything about the applicant. But they are trained and they apply a rubric, they score it.”

It’s a process that has been used at other Canadian universities. The questions and rubric are based on research, aiming to select students that will be successful in post-secondary studies.

Volunteers also receive training on red flags that can signal answers may have been plagiarized or written by artificial intelligence.

Stacey Mahoney is one of the volunteers reviewing AIFs. She holds a Bachelor of Math and Masters of Management Science from the University of Waterloo, and works as the Director of Systems, Technology and Analytics at the Registrar’s office.

But going through AIFs is something she does on her own time, happy to give input on who could join the university next.

“It’s that sense of how great the next cohort is that we’re looking at, and how so many different experiences out there help to determine our future students at the university,” Mahoney said.

This year, artificial intelligence will be used to do a second assessment of the AIFs.

If the first and second scores don’t align, then a third human reader will be brought in.

The results are added to the overall score that ultimately determines which applicants are given an enrolment offer.

The university doesn’t divulge exactly what they look for in these responses, or how the scoring rubric works, but Jardin says the AIF is not complicated.

“Just answer the questions genuinely,” he advised applicants. “This is your chance to tell us more about yourself.”

The university also doesn’t say exactly what weight the AIF gets in the overall admission score. They do say grades are still the main factor, and there are other considerations beyond the form.

“In engineering they also have a Kira interview that students participate in,” Jardin explains. “In many cases it’s optional, but most students do it.

“In math, we have some of the best outreach in math computer science in the world. A lot of students write our contests, and if you do really well, that can factor in in a positive way.”

The university receives 25,000 to 30,000 applications to its most competitive programs, and Jardin is aiming to get 500 alumni volunteers to review AIFs.

Mahoney has committed to going through at least 100 forms this year, but said it’s a fulfilling experience.

“Knowing that starting as an applicant leads to those people who are crossing the stage with their degrees four or five years later, feeling a part of that process, it’s part of the reason I love being a part of the university.”