by Joel Nicholson
Last updated November 9, 2021
Looking to educate yourself on the Queen’s Commerce application process?
Then you’re in the right place.
We’ve helped hundreds of students get into Queen’s Commerce and we want to share our knowledge, tips, and insight for a successful application with YOU.
Please note: if you’re looking for a more detailed analysis on the Queen’s Commerce essay questions, then you’re NOT in the right place. Instead, check out our essential (and FREE) Queen’s Commerce Essay Examples & Templates Guide here. We’ve got a ton of essay templates and examples, as well as helpful tips and a breakdown of our unique communication approach to help your essays stand out.
So here’s what we’re going to cover in this post:
- What Are My Chances of Getting In?
- What Are the High School Requirements?
- How Do I Apply?
- How Do I Get Accepted?
- Who Can Answer My Other Questions?
What Are My Chances of Getting Into Queen’s Commerce?
With a quick Google search, you’ll find that Queen’s Commerce receives around 8,000 applications per year and annual enrollment of 500 students.
So, basic math suggests that the Queen’s Commerce acceptance rate is 6%, right?
Wrong. We’re forgetting to apply two main things:
Problem #1: The Queen’s Commerce Cut-off
The Queen’s Commerce cut-off has been 87% for more than a decade, and surprisingly, a large number of students do not meet this grade requirement.
Apparently, only about 2,500 of those students do not meet the cut-off.
This means: if you do meet the cutoff, you’re competing against significantly fewer students.
In fact: Your chances increase to 9%.
Problem #2: Rejected Offers from Queen’s Commerce
You may find this hard to believe, but students do reject their offers to Queen’s Commerce.
In fact, the Queen’s Registrar reports that only about 60% of students accept their Queen’s Commerce offers.
So, what does this mean?
It means that the admissions committee has to offer more acceptances than their planned class size, knowing that 40% of students will reject their offer.
Therefore, the actual acceptance rate is around 15%.
So, on average, if you meet the cut-off you have about a 1 in 6 chance of admission.
Yes, that’s much higher than 6%.
But don’t forget!
You’re up against an incredible pool of students.
With that said, your chances can be higher or lower if:
- You’re from Ontario or outside Ontario
- Queen’s Commerce is your first-choice
Want to learn more? Connect with a coach today!
Or feel free to contact us directly for help on your application:
What are the Queen’s Commerce High School Requirements?
If you currently attend an Ontario high school, Queen’s Commerce has the following course and grade requirements before you can be officially admitted:
| Mandatory Course | Minimum Mark |
| Grade 12 English (ENG4U) | 80% |
| Grade 12 Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U) | 80% |
| One other 4U math course, such as:Grade 12 Advanced Functions (MHF4U)Grade 12 Mathematics of Data Management (MDM4U) | 80% |
| Three additional 4U or 4M courses | N/A |
You can still obtain an offer from Queen’s without these courses.
However, your offer will be conditional, subject to you completing the prerequisite courses.
You’re probably wondering:
“What if I apply early, before some of these grades are available to Queen’s?”
They’ll simply look at your Grade 11 grades, such as ENG3U and MCR3U.
But the more likely situation is:
They’ll waiting until your mid-term of final grades for your Grade 12 classes are available.
What are the requirements for non-Ontario or IB students? Glad you asked:
Queen’s Commerce IB Requirements
HL Mathematics and English with a minimum anticipated final score of 5 (predicted/final).
British Columbia (BC) Requirements
English 12, Calculus 12 or Pre-Calculus 12 with minimum grades of 80%; and two additional Grade 12 subjects with no minimum grades.
From another province? Use this fancy admissions requirements search tool.
How Do I Apply to Queen’s Commerce?
Applying to Queen’s Commerce is a two-step process.
STEP ONE: Apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).
OUAC is the organization that processes applications on behalf of Ontario universities, so each school doesn’t have to do it themselves. 
OUAC 101 vs. 105 Application
If you’re a current Ontario high school student, you’ll apply through the 101 application.
Your guidance counsellor will provide your access codes around late November.
These codes allow you to access your 101 Online Application and any grades your school reports will automatically synchronize to OUAC.
If you’re from outside of Ontario, you’ll apply through the 105 application.
You don’t need an OUAC code because you can simply create an account yourself.
However, that means your transcripts / grades must be sent manually.
The OUAC deadline is February 1, 2022.
Shortly after you apply on OUAC, Queen’s will email you a Net ID.
STEP 2: Using this Net ID, log in to Queen’s supplementary application portal, SOLUS.
Here’s a fun fact:
Once you access your SE questions from SOLUS, you will have 30 days to complete them. If you do not do so within that time, the system will give you three entirely new options.
REMEMBER: If you access your questions on February 14 (which we really don’t recommend), you will not have 30 days to complete the questions (i.e. March 16). The deadline for the Supplementary Application is February 15, so don’t try to outwit the system.
For more help on submitting your application, read our Queen’s Commerce Program Guide which has an entire section devoted to breaking down things like:
- Understanding OUAC, Net IDs and SOLUS
- How and when your grades are submitted to Queen’s
- Recommended application dates
- And much more…
Queen’s Commerce Supplementary Essays
The Commerce program requires applicants to complete two essays that are 2,000 characters or less (including spaces).
Starting this year (for the 2021/2022 application), Queen’s Commerce got rid of the November, December, and January question cycles.
Instead, each prospective student receives three “randomly generated” essay questions (and two must be completed).
These Supplementary Essay questions can mean the difference between admission success and failure. If you’re serious about getting into Queen’s Commerce, connect with a coach for help showcasing your skills, interests, and experience in your essays.
You should also check out our Queen’s Commerce Essay Examples & Templates Guide for tips for writing, possible SE questions, and much more.
How Do I Get Accepted to Queen’s Commerce?
Now let’s talk about the good stuff:
How to get into Queen’s Commerce?
First, you absolutely must meet the cut off of 87%.
Because QC received 5,000+ applications, they need some sort of an immediate, objective filtering system to eliminate those candidates who just aren’t well-suited for the program.
This is where the ‘cut off’ comes into play.
However, the Queen’s Commerce entrance average is reported at around 91%.
While they say your grades don’t matter after you meet the cutoff, our analysis might suggest otherwise.
Applicants with higher grades could be prioritized.
This means:
If two applicants submit their Supplementary Essays on the same day: the one with the higher average will be read first.
Then again, we always hear about students with 97% and 99% averages getting accepted to Ivey, Schulich, Rotman, etc…
…But rejected from Queen’s Commerce.
The reason is because—for the most part—your marks only matter once you’ve hit the cut off.
After that, it’s entirely about your two Supplementary Essays.
Don’t believe me?
This is straight from the Queen’s Commerce admissions website:
So if you’re spending all your time improving your average from a 92% to a 94%…
…And if you don’t focus any effort on writing unique, authentic, and memorable Supplementary Essays that showcase your leadership skills, career goals, interests, self-awareness, and more, then you simply won’t get in.
Your grades are just the gatekeeper for your application to be considered.
Then, you need to crush you Supplementary Essays — I’m talking crush it.
That’s why our team at Youthfully has created this FREE Queen’s Commerce Guide and Queen’s Commerce Essay Examples & Templates Guide to help you understand what Queen’s is looking for, what kind of questions you can expect, and what skills/interest/experiences you need to showcase in your essays.
Who Can Answer My Other Questions?
Make sure to check out our other blogs and videos on Queen’s Commerce, or reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram.
If you’d like to contact Queen’s directly, here are some good ways to get your other questions answered:
Admissions Office
If you have questions about anything regarding the admissions process, the admissions office can usually point you in the right direction. The Queen’s University Facebook page is usually pretty good at getting back to you if you DM them or post on their wall.
- Phone Number: 613.533.6666
- Email: admission@queensu.ca
Commerce Office
If the admissions office cannot answer your question, they’ll usually direct you to the Commerce Office. Set in Goodes Hall, the program has dedicated staff to answer current and prospective student queries—and they are very helpful. They also have an Ask A Student feature, where current first and second years directly answer your questions about the program.
- Phone Number: 613.533.2301
- Email: commerce@queensu.ca
We know that applying to university can be super stressful, but remember that we are always here for you. Connect with a coach today for 1-on-1 support to create compelling and unique essays, improve real-world skills, achieve big goals, and so much more.
