Hey katy_123 - good question! The Queen's MBA isn't one of the most common targets around here, and video interviews (which is essentially what this "essay" is) are less common, so that's probably why nobody responded before.
The best way to prepare for this is to practice with a friend. The school is trying to create a real-world simulation, to see how you operate and what your communication skills are. It's much more insightful for them to do this than to have you write and rewrite and endlessly polish an essay, so this is actually a very good way for them to evaluate their applicants (we wonder why more schools don't do it!).
It can be nerve-wracking for you as the applicant though! You want to get comfortable talking on your feet. We don't have any direct experience with this exact video requirement however in other contexts, such as the LBS interview question where the applicant needs to come up with a talk on a specific subject with only 3 minutes of preparation, what we suggest is that you go through lots of possible questions and get comfortable answering extemporaneously. Have them ask you standard stuff - why do you want an MBA, why do you want to go to Queen's? And have them ask you crazy stuff: If you were an animal, what would you be? What's your favorite book? Who do you think has the best job in the world? Just anything at random. This will help you get comfortable in coming up with answers quickly. The most important thing to show in your video essay for Queen's is that you're calm and collected, that you can think clearly, and that you can present something off the cuff. What you say almost won't matter as much as how you handle the experience of answering a question.
You should also experiment with the video part - have a friend call you with a Skype call and get used to talking to the computer. It's really weird and awkward at first. You don't want to have your first experience be the one for your app!!
We've got a variety of other tips that may be helpful on the EssaySnark blahg - try these posts:
https://essaysnark.com/2011/11/30-days-o ... view-tips/
https://essaysnark.com/2012/11/skype-interview-tips/
(Note: That first one is from 2011, we're not doing 30 Days of Essays right now.)
Good luck with this "essay" - it is a great opportunity to share some of yourself with the adcom - let us know if we can help further, and please report back about your experience!!!
EssaySnark
