Queen's University, Bachelor of Commerce

12/05/2020

Written by Mihika Tarini Vyas

Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario allows students to explore and complete a Bachelor of Commerce, through the Smith School of Business. During your undergraduate years of study, you'll have the opportunity to explore fields of study such as, entrepreneurship, social impact, investment banking, accounting, marketing, international business, consulting, and human resources. Smith emphasizes a strong sense of community, so you'll sit in classrooms that host a maximum of 85-90 students. Queen's educates students across all disciplines of business in the first two years of their study, allowing them to specialize in a field through their third and fourth years. Aside from attaining a deep understanding of business strategies and concepts, you'll have numerous opportunities to participate in case competitions and receive customized career management plans facilitated by Smith's Career Advancement Centre. The Commerce Society at Smith is Canada's largest business society and provides students with the opportunity to network and connect through conferences, competitions, committees, and more. If you are interested in leadership positions, the society extends positions to 1,000 students. If this appeals to you and you would like to learn about the program's admission requirements, continue reading!

Grade Requirements

In order to be accepted to the Queen's Commerce program, you'll have to keep the following requirements in mind.

Ontario High Schools

Admission Requirements

Required Courses- mid to high 80's required

English 4 U (ENG4U)
Calculus and Vectors 4 U (MCV4U)
Completion of one additional 4U Mathematics course

Minimum grades of 80% are required in these three prerequisite courses. Additional three required courses may either be 4U or 4M and no more than two 4M courses can be selected from any discipline.

International Baccalaureate

Mathematics and English HL/SL - minimum requirement for English and Mathematics is an anticipated final score of 5 (SL Mathematical Studies is not an acceptable prerequisite)
Complete the full IB Diploma with passes in six subjects, three of which must be Higher Level courses
A minimum grade of 28 (excluding points received from the extended essay and theory of knowledge components) must be obtained

Supplementary Application

Acceptance to the Queen's Commerce program requires the submission of a supplementary application comprising of two components- he personal statement of experience and the commerce supplementary essays. The first portion of the application (PSE) consists of a resume-style section, where students list their top five distinctions, extra-curricular activities and experiences and jobs. It's important to prioritize the activities you've taken part in since you'll only get to list a few. So be sure to select the ones you think will fit best! This component also includes an essay question where you'll be expected to write about one of your extra-curriculars or experiences. As for the commerce supplementary essay (SE) section, questions are to be answered in three stages and released monthly through November, December, and January. Topics for these essays change every month and range from self-reflections, personal anecdotes, experiences, etc/. Examples of previous topics are listed below.

Tell us a story that illustrates who you are.
Reflect on something you wish had been different about your high school experience and why.
What makes you unique?
Reflect on a time when you were treated unfairly and what that experience taught you?
Describe an experience that influenced the person you are today.

If these steps seem overwhelming, don't worry! Queen's application portal (known as SOLUS) provides applicants with To-Do lists that outline the tasks and requirements each student needs to complete.

Reflections from a student

To help you get an insight into what university life is like - especially during these unprecedented times - Joel Vidad (Queen's Commerce '23) shares his answers to the following questions.

1. What's been the highlight of your experience at Queens Commerce so far?

2. How's remote learning been like for you? Has Queens instituted any special workshops/services/etc to help students cope with the transition?

3. What advice would you like to give students looking to network in the business world?

Joel notes the highlight of his experience at Queen's Commerce to be Frosh Week.

"It was such a fun experience with everyone dressing up in their Commerce frosh uniforms, while enjoying fun, spirited activities to break the ice. I remember going to what we call "the pier" at midnight after the last day of Frosh Week with my new friends."

Upon reflecting on remote learning, Joel feels that it has turned out better than expected- even when comparing it to his first year. "We are given numerous timeslots to attend lectures that fit our schedule. This allowed me to work part-time, while completing deliverables, and attending lectures that fit into my day. Because the Commerce professors have an idea of what Commerce students go through during remote learning, they have been very accommodating - a few of them even have policies to accommodate deliverable due dates depending on our overall health and circumstances. The school also ensures that we get the necessary technological support for the most part of each weekday. Smith also has portals where we can access personal and academic counseling, as well as general remote learning tips. Finally, Queen's clubs offer many virtual social events where we can gain some level of interaction and community, despite the current health context."

Joel admits that networking can be very daunting as you'd be reaching out to people that have thrived and succeeded in the business community. "It just takes one message or invitation to expand your network." But his advice is simple, just connect! "Many of my mentors I've gained have been because of reaching out and meeting for coffee. Each time, I'm inspired to set long term goals, and wake up each day to work towards them - whether they are academic goals before graduation, or career goals by figuring out what I want to do after Smith Commerce."

Overall, Smith is endowed with renowned faculty, friendly peers, and fantastic vehicles for networking- now don't forget to connect!

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