2026/2027 Queen's Commerce Supplementary Application Changes

If your child is applying to Queen’s Commerce this year, the application they’ve heard about from older friends and siblings no longer exists. For 2026/2027, the Smith School of Business has redesigned its mandatory supplementary application, and the change matters for how students should be preparing right now.

One thing hasn’t changed: across the whole supplemental, Smith is looking for leadership, impact, collaboration, initiative, a passion for business, and the contributions you’ve made. What’s new is how students show it.

Here’s what’s changed, what we’re still waiting on, and what your child can do today to get ahead.

What’s changed

For the past several years, the supplementary application was a short timed essay (335 words in 10 minutes) and one video response. Students could prepare a handful of strong stories and adapt them on the day.

This year, the written response is built around your child’s activities:

• A 15-minute written response in two parts. Part 1 asks students to list up to five of their activities. Part 2 asks them to discuss those activities, focusing on the meaningful impact and contributions they made. Queen’s hasn’t released the exact question yet (more on that below).
• Activities from the past five years count. Clubs, sports, jobs, volunteering, family responsibilities, personal projects. Students don’t need to be doing them right now.
• A verifier. Students name one person who can confirm their activities, such as a guidance counsellor, teacher, coach or employer. Queen’s may contact them, so every detail has to be exactly true.
• Two video questions instead of one, each with 2 minutes to think and 2 minutes to answer.
• Deadline: February 15, 2027. Queen’s has said all admission decisions will be complete and posted on SOLUS by May 21, 2027.
• Accommodations: students with an IEP or accommodation needs should contact Queen’s early at suppapp@queensu.ca.

What we’re still waiting on

Queen’s hasn’t yet published the exact question or rubric for Part 2 of the written response, or the rubric for the video questions. They’ve also not confirmed whether the written and video parts must be done in one sitting.

We’re tracking this closely and will update this post, and our Queen’s Commerce guide, the moment they do.

Why this matters now

The new format rewards students who know their own story. Choosing the right five activities, describing them precisely, and lining up a verifier who can speak to all of them takes time and reflection. It’s not something to leave until January.

The students who do best will be the ones who:

1. Write down every activity from the last five years, with dates and hours, before narrowing anything down.
2. Choose their strongest five, the ones that show leadership, initiative and impact, not just the most impressive-sounding titles.
3. Pick a verifier now and ask their permission.
4. Practise talking about their experiences out loud for the video questions.

How Alpha helps

At Alpha Admissions, every advisor is a Queen’s Commerce or Ivey graduate. We’ve guided students through every version of the Queen’s application, and we’ve rebuilt our program around this year’s format:

• A guided activity inventory, so nothing your child has done gets forgotten.
• One-on-one help choosing the five activities that tell the strongest story.
• Verifier guidance, so details match exactly.
• Video practice with real feedback from an advisor who has been through it.
• Updates the moment Queen’s releases the rest of the format, so your child is never caught off guard.

The goal hasn’t changed

The rules have changed, but the goal hasn’t: helping your child show Queen’s who they really are. Starting early, with the right support, makes all the difference.

This post reflects information published by Queen’s as of November 1, 2026. We’ll update it as Queen’s releases more details.