African Leadership Academy Application Form 2024-2025 African Leadership Academy Application Form 2024-2025: Online Application Closing Date Within the 2024-2025 academic year African Leadership Academy is excited to release the application for all applicants to apply. Students should submit their application form to the school after they have completely downloaded and filled in the necessary details… Read More »
African Leadership Academy Admissions 2024-2025 African Leadership Academy Admissions 2024-2025: Academy Application Deadline 2024 African Leadership Academy Admissions is the period within the academic syllabus that accept students who have an interest to apply and study at the school in the academic year. During the admission period applicants are advised to submit their application early… Read More » Search
ALA asked students questions that revealed potential, not preparation
For ALA, it was important to find students with exceptional character and genuine motivation. They were careful to only ask questions that uncovered who each applicant was and how they thought, not how persuasive and polished they were. Formulaic interview questions reward kids who know the formula. Some of the most unique and passionate students canât shine through rote interview questions because they lack the coaching and experience necessary to provide succinct, persuasive answers. Asking about individual achievements, for example, puts students who have the privilege of preparation at a notable advantage. âSo many impressive students donât know why theyâre impressive,â said Bradford. âTheyâll tell us about a math test they scored well on because thatâs what they get feedback on at school. Meanwhile, theyâre out volunteering their time every Saturday to help peoplesâ lives in their hometown.â ALA wasnât seeking interview sharks; they were looking for kids who had an earnest passion and the drive to become leading global citizens. So, they focused on asking questions students didnât prepare for, like, âThis is a residential program. How would you describe your hometown to your roommate?â âWhen you ask students something like that,â said Bradford, âyou hear this richness about how they think about their hometown, their culture, and their communities. And since nobody really prepares for that type of question, you dont get a rehearsed answer or students talking about math tests. It reveals much more about them and how they think.”
ALAâs network attracted teens to the application, and Hello World kept them there
When Paragon was announced, ALA didnât have any name recognition outside of the African continent, and Hello World didnât exist yet. This posed two challenges: How would they bring students to the application? And once they got there, would they see the application process through to the end? As for the first challenge, Bradford said, âWe could have spent endlessly on Google Ads to get eyeballs on Paragon, but with no name recognition or credibility outside of Africa, there was no guarantee anyone would care about or trust it. And a program like this is only as successful as the quality of applicants that you bring in.â Paragon may be in its inaugural year, but ALA has access to a strong network of government and education organizations across the planet. When they launched the application, ALA reached out to organizations like The Citizens Foundation in Pakistan and national educational offices around the world to drum up excitement among promising young leaders. But there was no guarantee they would actually maintain interest in the application once they hit send. In traditional application experiences, kids go to a web portal, respond to a bunch of questions, and send their materials into the ether. Three months later, after theyâve forgotten they applied, they find out that theyâve been admitted. âWe just have to hope theyâre still available and interested,â said Bradford. âItâs a real problem, especially among up-and-coming programs like Paragon.â So, they hosted the application on Hello World, which offers a much different application experience. On Hello World, instead of submitting an application in private, students create public profiles and upload short video responses to challenges like âShow us your passion.â Students can also see who else has applied, watch their application videos, and even provide feedback. âThere was a sense of community and collective enthusiasm from the jump,â said Bradford, âwhich served as a valuable stamp of approval for a program that hadnât even happened yet.â
African Leadership Academy Application Form 2024-2025 African Leadership Academy Application Form 2024-2025: Online Application Closing Date Within the 2024-2025 academic year African Leadership Academy is excited to release the application for all applicants to apply. Students should submit their application form to the school after they have completely downloaded and filled in the necessary details… Read More »
African Leadership Academy Admissions 2024-2025 African Leadership Academy Admissions 2024-2025: Academy Application Deadline 2024 African Leadership Academy Admissions is the period within the academic syllabus that accept students who have an interest to apply and study at the school in the academic year. During the admission period applicants are advised to submit their application early… Read More » Search