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If you are looking for guidance on the Queen’s (Smith) Commerce supplementary application, as well as Queen’s Commerce essay examples and templates, then you’ve come to the right place.
This Application Prep guide is fully updated with this year’s 2022/2023 application (i.e. for applicants planning on starting the program in Fall 2023), as well as past applications for reference.
IMPORTANT: The Queen’s (Smith) Commerce Supplementary Essays will be available starting November 1, 2023. This year’s application, students will write 2 SUPPLEMENTARY ESSAYS from 3 randomly selected questions. Keep reading to learn how to approach these.
Before you dive in, it’s important to understand that the admissions committee receives thousands of applications every year. To help you stand out from the crowd, you need to demonstrate a clear sense of self, strong life experience, and exemplary communication skills.
Our ‘full student’ coaching process does exactly that. If you’re not working with a coach, be sure to read the Self-Awareness, Goal-Setting, and Narrative Communication Skills Guides.
The Narrative Communication Approach™ is a particularly useful storytelling framework that helps you tell a clear and concise story, while creating an emotional connection with the reader. All Queen’s Commerce essay examples and templates use this approach.
We use essay templates to show you a suggested essay structure that uses the Narrative Communication Approach™. Using this structure does not mean your essays will be the same as other students. That’s like saying using the 3 Act Structure makes every play, movie, and novel the same. The content of that story makes it unique.
We also suggest following the 5-step essay writing process we teach, seen here.
If you’re serious about getting into Queen’s Commerce and reaching your fullest post-secondary potential, connect with a coach. It’s never too early to receive coaching.
For more information about Queen’s Commerce, check out our Queen’s Commerce Program Guide and this informative video that one of our coaches, a QC program alumnus, created to help students just like you.
Table of Contents
This year, applicants are required to:
The written response should be completed first, followed by the video response.
While there are no official dress code requirements, you should dress appropriately and have a stable internet connection in a quiet, comfortable space.
Accommodations and technical support are available to those who require them (reach out to suppapp@queensu.ca). We recommend you practice with your coach for optimal performance.
In the 2024 admissions process, Queen’s is primarily looking at five factors in an applicant (rated across scores of poor, fair, good, great, and excellent):
Here’s what the evaluation rubric looks like:
There is also a final evaluation area, called ‘Communication Clarity’, rated either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Improving real-world skills like communication is an essential part of our ‘full student’ coaching methodology. To make sure you get a ‘Satisfactory’ on the Communication Clarity part of your evaluation, read our Narrative Communication Approach™ Guide and our Deductive Communication Approach™ Guide.
Want to learn how to articulate how your unique skills, interests, and experiences are aligned with these evaluation criteria? Connect with a coach for support.
Below are Queen’s Commerce questions. The questions you receive will be randomly generated.
As you’ll see, most of the questions prompt you to tie in your own experiences with values of inclusivity and diversity.
Types of questions may look something like:
Having trouble choosing an experience, interest, person, or issue (depending on the question you’re asked)?
Select questions that will allow you to:
Keep reading for breakdowns/tips, templates, and examples for both types of questions. If you have questions about this year’s application and need help writing your essays, connect with a coach for 1-on-1 support.
If you’re applying to Queen’s (Smith) Commerce, or you’re simply interested in learning more about the program, this guide is… Read more
Having a clear structure is key for answering questions on a time-crunch. Preparation is key, and practicing with your coach will help you break down the possible questions that could arise and prepare responses for them. You can then adjust them based on the actual question being asked. The worst situation is when the clock is counting down and you are fumbling over thoughts and words, leading to an incoherent and chaotic response – “uhhh, soooo”, “umm, maybe this one will work?”. To prevent this, read some of the example questions below and practice some of them with your coach. Make sure to follow a structured approach when answering.
Queen’ questions are all open-ended and are designed to help the admissions committee learn more about you and your experiences, values, skills, interests, and goals (learn more about how to answer personal questions in our Interview Prep Guide here — these can be used for written or video/in-person questions).
Remember that your reviewers only know the surface level information, like your name and high school grades — they know nothing about who you are as a person, where you come from, and how your experiences have shaped your personality, interests, and goals.
These questions are your chance to make a lasting first impression and show what makes you unique and a perfect fit for the Queen’s BHSc program.
You need to go beyond the surface and provide deep insight about who you are. The admissions committee wants to see that you know where you’ve come from (and where you want to go). You might not realize it, but displaying your strong self-awareness will help set you apart from other applicants — that’s why we’ve written a whole blog about it here.
If you have completed your Student Identity Blueprint™ and gone through the Discovery phase of our coaching process, these types of questions will be easy for you to answer (if you haven’t, connect with a coach to get started).
The most important thing to remember when writing these essays is to constantly refer back to the Supplementary Essay Rubric we discussed above.
Using these criteria, the Personal Questions should draw upon a significant life experience, circumstance, or person that helped you form your identity and impacted your life to such an extent you experienced deep learning (Connection) and set yourself on the path to where you are today to accomplish your personal, academic, and career goals (Personal Growth).
If you need help answering a Personal Question and creating an essay that gets you a “Distinguished” mark in these three criteria, connect with a coach now (and keep reading for templates and examples to help you as you’re writing your essays).
Here’s a Queens Commerce template for the question: “Tell us about an experience that shaped who you are today.”
COACH’S TIP: While each template will change depending on the question, you can easily form your own template by reading our Narrative Communication Approach™ and breaking down the question into the 5 components listed below. Connect with a coach to talk out your storyline and get started on your template and essay.
As mentioned above, if you prefer to use a more problem-based approach, use our Deductive Communication Approach™. Before getting started on your essay, connect with a coach to determine which approach is best for your interests, experiences, and goals.
Here’s a sample Queens Commerce essay example response for the question: “Tell us about an experience that made an impact on the world around you.”
REMEMBER: This is an EXAMPLE ONLY and is NOT meant for you to copy. Why? First and foremost, this is plagiarism and is a serious offense. Plagiarizing these essays will result in immediate disqualification from the admissions process. This can be easily detected using technology and application reviewers are usually trained and/or able to spot when an application isn’t original and does not align with an applicant’s background, personality, values, etc.
Here are some of the sample questions that applicants might encounter.
Some examples include:
Before starting your actual video response, practice a little in front of the mirror to get into the mood of talking. Also try speaking into a recording camera beforehand as it is different from speaking directly with other people.
You could even watch this recording several times to find areas in which you could improve on. Make sure to be engaging and thoughtful by maintaining eye contact and using facial expressions.
Practicing with your coach with this is especially important as they can help you identify areas of improvement from an admissions’ perspective.
Most students estimate their interview abilities, but interviewing is a critical skill that requires a ton of practice. Leverage our interview preparation guide, find a mentor, a friend, or work with a coach, to make sure that you are prepared to answer any question.
This is the same evaluation criteria as the written response portion.
See how an applicant might be scored based on their level of initiative:
Here’s an example for the question “Discuss a situation where you have fostered a welcoming and safe environment, respecting diverse viewpoints.”
Remember, these examples are purely illustrative and are not meant to be copied. Your authenticity and originality are key to creating a compelling application. As you prepare your application, our coaching process can offer significant support, guiding you through every step and helping you craft an application that truly resonates with the admissions committee. With our expert guidance, you can approach the application process with confidence, knowing you have a dedicated team supporting your journey to success.
Similar to last year, the 2022/2023 Queen’s (Smith) Commerce Supplementary Application is made up of 3 randomly generated questions. You must answer 2 of the 3 questions.
Each essay must be 2,000 characters or less (including spaces).
Here are the important dates and deadlines for your Queen’s (Smith) Commerce 2023 Application:
For more information about the Supplementary Application and deadlines, visit this page, and for other key dates and deadlines, click here. If you need some help with the application process, connect with a coach any time for support.
IMPORTANT: Queen’s Commerce no longer follows the previous November, December, and January submission cycles as it did for all applications before 2021. Instead, you will have 30 days from when you access the questions on SOLUS to complete and submit your essays. If you do not submit the first randomly generated set of questions by 30 days, another set of 3 questions will appear for you to complete. The last day to submit your essays is February 15, even if you received the questions less than 30 days before that (i.e. if you got the questions on January 30, the deadline is February 15, February 29 even though that’s 30 days).
IMPORTANT: Queen’s Commerce no longer follows the previous November, December, and January submission cycles as it did for all applications before 2021. Instead, you will have 30 days from when you access the questions on SOLUS to complete and submit your essays. If you do not submit the first randomly generated set of questions by 30 days, another set of 3 questions will appear for you to complete.
The last day to submit your essays is February 15, even if you received the questions less than 30 days before that (i.e. if you got the questions on January 30, the deadline is February 15, February 29 even though that’s 30 days).
You can see how many days you have left to complete the questions on SOLUS, shown here:
Many students ask us how the Queen’s Commerce Supplementary Application is evaluated.
Similar to last year, Smith Commerce makes their evaluation rubric public to all applicants so that they can submit the strongest possible application.
You will see that there are 3 main evaluation criteria, each of which are rated across 4 possible scores (Distinguished, Capable, Basic, and Unsatisfactory):
There is also a final evaluation area, called ‘Communication Clarity’, rated either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Improving real-world skills like communication is an essential part of our ‘full student’ coaching methodology.
To make sure you get a ‘Satisfactory’ on the Communication Clarity part of your evaluation, read our Narrative Communication Approach™ Guide and connect with a coach today.
You are also encouraged to complete and submit your Equity Self-Identification Form by February 15th.
There are 2 types of Queen’s (Smith) Commerce SE questions: Personal Questions and Moral Questions.
Here are a few examples of questions from 2022/2023.
Click here to access the full list.
Personal questions focus on you: your experiences, the people you know, your interests, etc.
Moral questions prompt you to discuss issues like diversity, inclusion, injustice, and equity, and discuss how your experiences, learnings, and identity influence your opinions, beliefs, and biases.
IMPORTANT: While the questions come out in a random batch of 3 questions from the above list, we notice applicants will almost always receive 1 Personal Question, 1 Moral Question, and 1 either Personal OR Moral Question.
The Personal Questions are all open-ended and are designed to help the admissions committee learn more about you and your experiences, values, skills, interests, and goals (learn more about how to answer personal questions in our Interview Prep Guide here — these can be used for written or video/in-person questions).
As mentioned above, here are some examples of Personal Questions:
These questions are your chance to make a lasting first impression and show what makes you unique and a perfect fit for the Smith Commerce program.
The most important thing to remember when writing these essays is to constantly refer back to the Supplementary Essay Rubric we discussed above. Your essay must have all 3 evaluation criteria: Positionality and Lived Experience, Connection, and Personal Growth.
Using these criteria, the Personal Questions should draw upon a significant life experience, circumstance, or person that helped you form your identity (Positionality and Lived Experience) and impacted your life to such an extent you experienced deep learning (Connection) and set yourself on the path to where you are today to accomplish your personal, academic, and career goals (Personal Growth).
Here’s a Queen’s Commerce SE template for the question: “Tell us about an experience that shaped who you are today.”
Here’s a sample Queen’s Commerce essay example response for the question: “Tell us about an experience that shaped who you are today.”.
The moral questions give you the opportunity to discuss your worldview and beliefs.
They are meant to gauge how you interact with others, question and challenge certain assumptions, and apply your beliefs and values to your experiences and use them for personal growth.
As mentioned above, some examples of Moral Questions include:
In your personal questions, you talked about your experiences and relationships, and learnings/growth you’ve had from those. The moral questions take it one step further to see how these things have shaped your actions, identity, and outlook over time. The admissions committee wants to know what your position in life is (and how it’s different from other applicants).
Just like the Personal Questions, you want to make sure your answers focus on the Supplementary Essay Rubric. Your essay must have all 3 evaluation criteria: Positionality and Lived Experience, Connection, and Personal Growth.
Using these criteria, the Moral Questions should draw upon a significant experience, circumstance, or dilemma that shaped your identity (Positionality and Lived Experience) and caused you to form, change, or reinforce your beliefs and/or values based on what the impact it had (Connection). These beliefs have shaped how you interact with the world and have influenced the personal, academic, and career path you want to take (Personal Growth).
If you need help answering a moral question and creating an essay that gets you a “Distinguished” mark in these three criteria, connect with a coach now.
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Here’s a Queen’s Commerce SE template for the question: “Describe a time when you witnessed something unjust. How would you respond to that situation now?”.
Here’s a sample Queen’s Commerce essay example response for the question: “Describe a time when you witnessed something unjust. How would you respond to that situation now?”.
Need help creating standout Supplementary Application essays? Connect with a coach now to learn how to communicate your unique experiences, interests, and skills.
If you want to learn more of the specifics about the Queen’s Commerce Supplementary Application, including number of apps, deadlines, and evaluation, check out our Queen’s Commerce Program Guide and check out our Queen’s Commerce YouTube playlist for help writing your essays, program information, and much more.
Joel
Queen’s BCom Youth Coach
There are some changes to the 2021/2022 Queen’s Commerce application.
First, there are no longer the November, December, and January submission cycles from the 2020/2021 application. Instead, each student receives 3 “randomly generated” essay questions. Each student needs to complete 2 questions.
Similar to past years, each essay must be less than 2,000 characters in length with spaces.
You have 30 days from when you access the questions on SOLUS to complete them. If you do not complete the first randomly generated set of questions by 30 days, another set of three questions will appear for your completion.
You cannot submit your essays past February 15, so even if you access the questions on, say February 14, you must submit before February 15 rather than the 30-day auto-renew deadline.
The evaluation rubric is now made public to all applicants. The rubric has three main evaluation criteria, each of which are rated across four possible scores:
Here’s what the essay evaluation rubric looks like:
There is also a final evaluation area, ‘Communication Clarity’, rated either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Improving real-world skills like communication is an essential part of our ‘full student’ coaching methodology. To make sure you get a ‘Satisfactory’ on the Communication Clarity part of your evaluation, read our Narrative Communication Approach™ Guide and connect with a coach today.
Below are Queen’s Commerce essay examples of randomly generated Supplementary Essay questions that came up.
As you’ll see, there are two types of questions: Personal Questions and Moral Questions.
For a complete list of possible questions for the 2021/2022 Queen’s Commerce Application, as well as supplementary application essay templates and examples, see the 2022/2023 application section above.
For the 2020/2021 application, Queen’s Commerce released their SE questions in stages:
Once the question period closes, applicants could no longer submit questions from the previous month. For example, you cannot submit November questions on December 1.
Applicants had to select TWO of the three questions and write an essay for each. Unlike the 2021/2022 application, the questions were the same for all applicants.
“Choose a person who has influenced you and discuss the impact they have made on your life.”
Get started on your template here (Click File > Make a copy).
The general structure of your answer to this question should have these five parts (get a detailed breakdown of these components here):
Here’s an example of an essay for this question.
REMEMBER: Please note that all of the examples below are EXAMPLES ONLY and are NOT meant for you to copy.
Need some extra help on questions like this? Check out this video by one of our coaches:
“Describe an activity or initiative that you are involved in. Share successes and challenges you experienced during your involvement.”
The general structure of your answer to this question should have these five parts:
COACH’S TIP: When thinking about what to write in the Outcome section, choose successes that are completely aligned to your values so the admissions committee can see what you truly believe in. Not sure what your values are? Connect with a coach and get started on our Discovery process, which will help you when applying to Queen’s, no matter what the SE question is.
Here’s an essay example for this question:
Still need help writing an essay for questions like this one? Connect with a coach and check out this video:
“Tell us about who you are. What elements have shaped who you are today?”
The general structure of your answer to this question should have these four parts:
COACH’S TIP: The biggest thing that will help you stand out for most Queen’s Commerce essay questions is showing the admissions committee that you have self-awareness and are fully in touch with your interests, skills, and goals. Haven’t thought about this much? Don’t worry, most students haven’t. The good news is that we can help you discover who you really are so you can ace these types of essay questions and go after the life you want. Connect with a coach to complete your Student Identity Blueprint™ and start your journey to success today.
Here is an essay example for this question:
Still need help writing an essay for a question like this? Connect with a coach and check out this video:
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“What is important to you? Why is it important?”
The general structure of your answer to this question should have these five parts (get the detailed breakdown of these components here):
COACH’S TIP: Sometimes it can be super difficult to understand what values are, why they’re important, and what values are unique to you. As a part of our Discover process, you’ll complete a Self-Aware Student Assessment, so you can find out exactly what your values are and how they align to your interests and who you are as a person. Check out this free resource to learn more about your values and skills, and connect with a coach to become more self-aware and give yourself an edge over other applicants on questions like the one above.
Here’s a Queen’s Commerce essay example for this question.
Need some extra help with questions like this one? Check out this video from one of our coaches:
“If you could start an organization to help a cause or community in need, what issue would it address and why?”
Need some extra help with questions like this? Check out this video from one of our coaches:
“Describe a transformative experience that led to a better understanding of yourself or others.”
The general structure of your answer to this question should have these four parts (get the detailed breakdown of these components here):
Here’s an essay example for this Queen’s Commerce essay question:
“Tell us something about you (background, an interest, a talent, etc.) that is an integral part of your identity, and why.”
Here’s an example of how to answer this question.
Still need help on how to answer questions like this one? Connect with a coach and watch this helpful video:
“Describe a problem you’ve solved or one you’d like to solve. Why did or do you feel it is important and what steps did or would you take to solve it?”
Here’s a Queen’s Commerce essay example for this question:
Need some help answering questions like this one? Check out this video:
“Think about a time where you questioned something you once thought to be true. Why did your beliefs come into question and what was the result of this reflection?”
Need help answering questions like this? Watch this helpful video:
Jessica
Smith Grad Former App Reviewer
The 2019/2020 Queen’s Commerce applicant asked prospective students to complete two supplementary essay questions, as well as the PSE List and Essay.
In this section, we’ll provide a breakdown of exactly what the PSE is, and we’ll give you templates and examples for the two essay questions.
The PSE is an essential component of your application.
It contains two parts:
In the PSE List, you can list up to 5 awards, 5 extracurricular activities, and 5 paid/unpaid work experiences within the last 4 years.
Within each category, list the most recent activities first. You will have a maximum of 200 characters (including spaces) for each item on the List to discuss the context and the impact.
Get started on your template here (Click File > Make a Copy).
There are 3 types of achievements you can include on your List:
Still have questions? Check out this video for more information on how to write your PSE List:
Here’s an example of an award, extracurricular, and paid/unpaid work experience.
REMEMBER: Please note that all of the examples in this guide are EXAMPLES ONLY and are NOT meant for you to copy.
(1) Award
Example: Competition
(2) Extracurricular Activity
Example: Club
(3)Paid/Unpaid Work
Example: Customer Service
Not sure how to write about the context and impact for your awards, activities, and work experiences? Connect with a Youth Coach to learn how to articulate your commitment, leadership, and impact and create a standout application.
The question for the PSE Essay was:
“Choose one extracurricular activity or one employment opportunity you have listed on your Personal Statement of Experience. In 2,000 characters, or fewer, describe the impact of this experience and the greatest learning outcome for you. Your answer will be evaluated for content and writing style.”
The general structure of your essay should have 5 components:
As you’re working on your PSE Essay and Supplementary Essays, check out our Narrative Communication Approach™ Guide for a step-by-step breakdown of each of these components.
Not sure which extracurricular/employment opportunity to choose? By working 1-on-1 with a Youth Coach, you’ll learn which experience can help you showcase your leadership, problem solving, and communication skills so you can write a truly memorable essay.
Here’s what an essay to this question might look like.
Still have questions? Check out this video about the Queen’s Commerce PSE Essay.
“Tell us a story that illustrates who you are.”
The essay template for this question follows the five components of our Narrative Communication Approach™ to create memorable and unique essays using storytelling.
These components are:
Here’s a possible answer to this essay question.
“Reflect on something you wish had been different about your high school experience and why.”
Here’s an example of an answer for this essay question:
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“What makes you unique?”
Here’s an essay example for this question.
“Reflect on a time when you were treated unfairly and what that experience taught you.”
Here’s an example of an answer to this essay question:
“Describe an experience that influenced the person you are today.”
‘“You Belong.” Reflect on what this means to you.’
Here’s an essay example for this essay question:
For over a decade, we have worked with thousands of students to help them achieve more than they ever thought possible.
Our coaches have a strong success rate supporting students as they apply to Queen’s Commerce, among other top university programs.
Our 1-on-1 Youth Coaching fills that gap that most high schools miss. We can help you build self-awareness through probing questions and assessments, set bigger goals to elevate your extracurriculars and future career plans, and improve skills that matter on supplementary applications, such as interviewing, written communication, critical thinking, and creativity.
We use a coaching methodology, called ‘full student’ development, that’s been proven to increase your chances of admission to top-tier universities and obtaining competitive jobs/internships.
So, what are you waiting for? Fulfill your post-secondary potential with the mentorship and coaching you’ve always wanted! 🙂
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IMPORTANT: Want to share information and/or images from this resource on your own website, blog, article, etc.? Please ensure you reference content of any kind published by Youthfully Inc., in whole or in part, using the following statement: (1) Our Organization (Youthfully Inc.); (2) The title of our content/resource; and (3) the URL to our webpage where the content was originally posted. For example: “Sourced from: Youthfully Inc., ‘Queen’s Commerce: Supplementary Essay Examples & Templates’, https://youthfully.ca/queens-commerce-essay-examples/.”
Not doing so is an infringement of copyright and is illegal. We spend significant time developing resources for students, so please take a few seconds to ensure they are referenced properly.
DISCLAIMER: While the information in this blog is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, and although our team makes every attempt to ensure that the information is accurate and vetted by university staff, Youthfully is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information printed and stored or in any way interpreted and used by a user.
Youthfully is the world's most committed organization to youth coaching and undergraduate admissions support. We empower students to unlock their full post-secondary potential through a holistic coaching approach we call 'full student'.
2022/2023 Essays
2021/2022 Essays
2020/2021 Essays
2019/2020 PSE/Essays
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