Ivey, Rotman, Queen's and Sauder Supplements (2027)

Ivey, Rotman, Queen's and Sauder each have their own supplementary application, but there is a lot of overlap in how you prepare for them. Your final responses still need to answer four different sets of questions.

The useful starting point is a clear record of your experiences. Then you can decide which examples belong in a written activity essay, a short profile answer or a timed recording.

This guide compares the supplements for 2027 entry and shows you how to organize that work without repeating the same answer everywhere.

Requirements checked November 8, 2026. Queen's published its 2027 Commerce format in early November, and this guide reflects it.

1. What does each school require?

Start with the format. It determines how much you can prepare in advance and how you should practise.

Ivey AEO is conditional pre-admission status for the HBA at Western University, with progression requirements during your first two university years. It also requires a separate Ivey application.

The official Ivey application page explains that route. Check it alongside your Western application.

For the broader process, read our guide to supplementary applications. Keep each school's actual portal checklist beside your planning document.

2. How should you approach Ivey's activity essays?

Ivey gives you space to develop two activities in depth. Take time to choose the activities before you write an introduction.

Look for an experience where you can explain a decision, the work you did, and its consequences. A title alone gives you little to discuss. A part-time job may contain a useful leadership story. A club presidency may also work, provided you can move beyond describing the club.

For every possible activity, ask: What needed attention? What was my responsibility? Which decision required judgement? What changed, and what remained difficult?

Choose two experiences that reveal different strengths. A second essay should add something the first one cannot show.

Map your activities across the essay and shorter-description slots first, so one familiar story doesn't take over the whole application.

Use STAR as a planning tool: Situation, Task, Action and Result. Add the lesson you can support with the experience.

Keep the background brief enough to leave room for your choices. Explain why you acted as you did, including what you changed after feedback. For example, a fundraising role becomes more useful when you explain a decision about ticket prices or access. Simply reporting the amount raised leaves the reader guessing about your contribution.

Use figures only when you can verify them. A precise description of a changed process is better than an invented percentage improvement.

Ivey requires a verifying reference for each activity. Activities earning academic credit are ineligible, so check that before investing in an essay.

You can study the structure in our Ivey activity essay examples. Use the annotations to improve your own material, rather than borrowing someone else's experience.

3. What changes when you prepare for Rotman?

Rotman combines material you can prepare beforehand with questions you encounter after starting. Those require different kinds of practice.

The current official format includes a prepared written response and three videos. One video question is disclosed in advance; two are additional questions.

Each video has a 90-second recorded window that includes 30 seconds of preparation. That leaves you about 60 seconds to speak, not 90, so time your practice answers to fit a one-minute window.

For the disclosed questions, begin with the wording supplied through your application. Underline every part you need to answer before choosing your material.

For unfamiliar questions, practise selecting an example quickly. A memorized answer can become a problem when the question asks for a different judgement or lesson.

Suppose you prepared a story about organizing a school event. A teamwork question might call for the disagreement you resolved, while a resourcefulness question might call for how you responded to a missing supplier. Those are different answers grounded in the same truthful experience. Changing the emphasis is useful; forcing an irrelevant story into a question is not.

Here's a practical drill: explain one experience in three ways. Start with a decision, then another person's contribution, and finally what you would change.

Record each attempt. Listen for a direct opening, a specific action and a conclusion that answers the question.

Our Rotman written and video examples illustrate this approach.

4. How should you prepare for Queen's?

Queen's published its 2027 Commerce format in early November. The Smith supplementary application page and the Queen's supplementary FAQ describe three parts.

• A two-part written response, completed within 15 minutes. In part A (5 minutes), you list up to five activities outside academics, with the full name, the dates you took part and your hours per week. In part B (10 minutes), you discuss them, with a 335-word limit.
• Two video responses. Each gives you 2 minutes to think and 2 minutes to answer. Queen's says these questions cover your experiences, ideas, contributions and growth.
• A verifier. You provide the name, role, email and phone number of someone who can confirm all the activities and experiences you list. Queen's says it contacts verifiers at random.

Start with the activity list, because the rest of the application builds on it. Choose up to five activities you can describe accurately. Queen's says fewer is fine, and your activities don't need to relate to business.

Write out full names instead of acronyms, and confirm your dates and weekly hours now. Five minutes is not long enough to reconstruct them from memory.

Then choose your verifier. It should be someone who can confirm every activity on your list, so check that before you finalize it. Let them know in advance that Queen's may contact them.

For part B, practise writing about your activities within 10 minutes. Focus on your own actions, the choices you made and what you learned. Then check the word count: 335 words goes quickly when the background runs long.

Smith also suggests thinking about your future goals and how your studies could help you reach them. Have a clear, honest answer ready before you start.

For the videos, practise with unfamiliar questions about a contribution, an idea you had, a setback and how you've grown. Use the 2 minutes of thinking time to choose one example and the point you want to make, then speak to the camera without reading a script.

Two rules matter on the day. Once you begin a question, you only get one attempt. Queen's also says using AI-generated content, copying and pasting, or getting help from another person can end the assessment. Complete the practice questions first; you can repeat them as often as you like.

Keep scholarship preparation separate from Commerce supplement preparation. An internal guide may contain Major Admission Award questions alongside admission advice; that does not make those questions part of the Commerce assessment.

5. How is Sauder's Personal Profile different?

Sauder asks you to coordinate several short written fields with a recorded interview. Plan the whole profile before polishing individual paragraphs.

Its BCom Personal Profile page includes questions about handling an unfamiliar situation and contributing to your community. It also includes activities and an activity reflection.

The community question asks you to connect present involvement with what you hope to develop through Sauder. Give both parts enough attention.

For the unfamiliar-situation question, choose a moment where your response reveals how you think. Explain the decision you made with the information available at the time.

For community impact, distinguish your contribution from the group's work. Then identify what you want to learn or practise next.

If you mention a course or organization, confirm that it exists and explain why it fits your interests.

Map your experiences across the profile so each answer adds something different.

UBC's application uses character limits. Check the limit in each field; a rough word-count conversion will not protect an answer from being cut off.

The current Sauder video process uses VidCruiter. You record three formal responses, with one attempt per question, then choose two to submit.

Each question allows 30 seconds to prepare and up to 90 seconds to respond. The third question is a creative scenario, so include unfamiliar problems in your practice. Complete the final interview-link step in your UBC application. Recording the responses is only part of that process.

For written-response annotations, see our Sauder Personal Profile examples.

6. Can one experience support several applications?

Yes, as long as you answer each question and describe it consistently.

Here is a fictional planning example. A student helps run a community clothing exchange, notices that collection times exclude some families, and proposes an evening session.

An Ivey activity essay could explain how the student identified the problem, won support and shared responsibilities. It would need enough real involvement for a full activity narrative.

A Rotman response could focus on the decision to change the schedule, if that directly answers the assigned question. The recording would require much less background.

For Queen's, the clothing exchange could be one of the five activities in the written response, and a video answer about growth could explore the setback that triggered the change. The organizer who supervised it could also serve as a verifier.

A Sauder community answer could explain who benefited, what the student learned about access, and what they want to develop next. It should answer both halves of that prompt.

The facts stay fixed. The selection and explanation change.

What should never change? Your role, dates, outcomes and credit to other people. Keep a factual master record so edits do not introduce contradictions.

Do not reuse an answer merely because it sounds polished. Read the new question without looking at your old draft, then decide whether the experience belongs.

If you want help choosing and developing your material, you can join the AdmissionPrep program waitlist. An Educator can work with you on the reasoning and expression while preserving your voice.

7. Which deadlines belong on your checklist?

Application and supplementary deadlines are different steps. Record them separately, along with the relevant time zone and your own earlier working target.

Sources: Ivey, Rotman, Queen's current dates, and Sauder admissions.

Rotman's recommended date for early consideration, November 7, 2026, has passed, but its early supplement and document date is still December 1, 2026. Scholarship and special-route deadlines may be earlier than the final dates above.

Here's the sequence to add to your checklist.

1. Open each application early enough to read the actual questions and requirements.
2. Build a factual experience bank and confirm any required references.
3. Assign experiences to disclosed prompts and draft your written responses.
4. Practise unfamiliar questions using the correct school-specific format.
5. Recheck requirements, proofread, submit and retain the confirmation.

For parents, useful support includes protecting practice time and checking that deadlines are recorded. Let your child choose the stories and do the explaining.

Ask what a sentence means before suggesting a replacement. That often reveals missing detail without replacing your child's voice.

Frequently asked questions

Which supplement is the easiest?

There is no useful universal ranking. Compare the work required with your current strengths: developed activity essays, concise written reflection and responding aloud under time pressure.

Can I use the same activities for all four schools?

You can use truthful experiences across applications when they answer the questions. Adapt the focus and length while keeping your role, dates and outcomes consistent.

Does Ivey AEO mean I enter the HBA immediately?

No. AEO is a conditional pre-admission status, with progression requirements during your first two university years before entering the HBA.

Are Rotman's 90 seconds all speaking time?

No. Rotman's current page says each 90-second recorded window includes a 30-second preparation period, so plan your spoken answer accordingly.

How many Sauder video responses do I submit?

The current process asks you to record three responses and select two to submit. Follow the final instructions for adding the interview link to your UBC application.

What does the Queen's Commerce supplement include for 2027?

A two-part written response completed within 15 minutes (a list of up to five activities, then a discussion of up to 335 words), two video responses with 2 minutes to think and 2 minutes to answer, and contact details for a verifier.

Do I need a business-related activity?

You can draw meaningful examples from paid work, community responsibilities, arts, sport or other experiences. Choose material that answers the prompt and shows your actual contribution.

Build a plan you can follow

Four applications become more manageable when each has a clear next step. Start with your evidence, map the questions and practise the formats that need the most work.

An AdmissionPrep Educator can help you develop that plan and strengthen your responses. Complete the Program Assessment, then explore the program waitlist if you want individual support.

An Advisor can explain fit and current availability. Your next useful step is a clear account of what you have done and what you learned.