Queen's Personal Statement of Experience: How to Write One That Gets Read

What Queen's actually calls this

Queen's now runs this piece of the application as the Supplementary Application, delivered through the Kira Talent platform, according to Queen's admissions page . The written portion is where you set out your personal statement of experience in your own words, so if you were told to prepare a "personal statement of experience" for Queen's, this is the component that request is pointing to.

Which programs require it

The Supplementary Application is required for:

• Commerce

• Health Sciences (on-campus program)

• Nursing (4-year Bachelor of Nursing Science program)

Consecutive Education, for applicants who already hold a university degree, also has its own supplementary step. Music, Concurrent Education Music, and Music Theatre use an audition process instead of the written and video format described here.

The 2 parts: written and video

Queen's admissions page describes the format directly: applicants submit one written response and one video response. The written response has a 335-word limit and is meant to take about 10 minutes. Exceeding the word limit works against you, so write to fit the cap rather than trimming after the fact. The video response gives you 2 minutes to prepare and 2 minutes to record your answer.

What it is actually assessing

Queen's frames the goal directly on its admissions page: the assessment aims to understand who you are, what potential you would bring to Queen's, and how you think in real time, rather than to collect a list of your extracurriculars. That framing should shape how you approach both parts. A response built around a bullet list of activities and titles misses the point, even if every item on the list is impressive.

How to write the response that gets read

• Pick one specific moment or experience rather than trying to summarize your whole high school record in 335 words.

• Show your thinking, not just the outcome. Explain a decision you made or a way you approached a problem, not just that you "led a team" or "volunteered."

• Write toward the actual word limit. A response that stops short at 200 words when you have 335 available usually means you left out useful detail.

• Avoid restating your resume. If an activity is already visible elsewhere on your application, use this space to explain what it meant to you instead of listing it again.

• For the video response, practice answering out loud within the 2-minute limit before your real attempt, since the platform gives you a fixed prep window with no retakes.

How it factors into the decision

Queen's describes the Supplementary Application as a mandatory part of the overall assessment for the programs that require it. It works alongside your academic average rather than replacing it. A strong written and video response does not offset an average outside the program's competitive range, and a weak one can hurt an application that is academically strong. Treat both parts as a real requirement, not an optional extra.

Timing

Queen's runs separate deadlines for Fall-term applicants, Winter-entry applicants, and upper-year or transfer applicants, with the Fall-term deadline falling in mid-February each cycle. Confirm the exact date for your intake on Queen's own supplementary application page before you start, since deadlines are set fresh for each admission cycle. Once you're on campus, disputes outside your control can still shape a term: a six-week graduate student strike that ran into exam season ended with a new settlement.