University of Toronto, Bachelor of Commerce
Written by Mihika Tarini Vyas
The University of Toronto's Commerce program provides students with the opportunity to explore a curriculum that synthesizes skill development and communicative and leadership skills with the function of commerce. Through your undergraduate year, you'll gain a strong foundation of key business concepts- such as finance, accounting, operations, marketing, economics- as well as the network and experience to pursue your desired career choice.
The Bachelor of Commerce degree is provided through the The Joseph L. Rotman School of Management- The University of Toronto's graduate business school- under the "Rotman Commerce" program. Rotman Commerce offers three programs to prospective students- Accounting, Management and Finance, and Economics. Upon entrance to the university's commerce admission category, students complete a first year of study exploring a plethora of disciplines in preparation to selecting an area of study in their second year.
Grade Requirements
In order to be accepted to the Rotman Commerce admission category, 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 six Grade 12 U/M subjects
International Baccalaureate
Required Courses - mid to high 30's required
English HL or SL
Math: Analysis and Approaches HL or SL
Math: Applications and Interpretations HL
(Math Studies not acceptable)
Supplementary Application
In addition to the prerequisites listed above, those wishing to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce at Rotman will need to submit a supplementary application comprising of short written and video responses. This part of the application process is conducted through an external online platform for interviews. You will have 60 seconds to think of an answer to the question posed and either deliver a verbal response or type out an answer. Questions that are asked can range from topics including your personal leadership experience and interest in the field of business to real-life case studies.
In terms of preparation, you are allowed to do a number of practice rounds before taking the final interview. You might also want to do research on the program itself as you can be asked why you wish to apply to Rotman.
Advice and Tips for the Supplementary Application
First-year students Chelsea Tho and Utkarsh Singh share their tips and advice for mastering the supplementary application.
Do not be scared- you are given numerous opportunities to practice interview questions before recording the final version. The questions will be easy if you are interested in and are passionate about business.
Just be yourself! The entire application process is a way for the university to get to know you- they want to get an understanding of who you are. If they weren't eager to meet you, the supplementary application process wouldn't exist.
If you are still worried about the interview portion of the application, when practicing the questions write down pointers of the information you wish to touch upon. Rehearse your response with a trusted friend, family member or guardian and ask for feedback. This is also a good way to practice coming up with a response within the time limit.
Guaranteed Admission
After your first year, you'll be guaranteed admission to the Rotman Commerce program provided that you meet the conditions listed below.
Complete RSM100H, Introduction to Management, with a mark of at least 67%.
Complete ECO101H, Principles of Microeconomics, and ECO102H, Principles of Macroeconomics, each with a mark of at least 63%. Students must obtain a grade of at least 63% in each of these two courses, and are not able to average out the marks between the two. Note that ECO101H is a prerequisite for ECO102H.
Complete MAT133Y, Calculus and Linear Algebra for Commerce with a mark of at least 63%; or MAT135H1 with a final mark of at least 60% AND MAT136H1 with a final mark of at least 60%; or MAT137Y1 with a final mark of at least 55%; or MAT157Y1 with a final mark of at least 55%.
Accumulate a minimum of 4.0 credits.
Applying to college is just another part of your academic journey. Soon you'll be finished with high school and all set to start your first semester in university- who knows you may even find yourself writing online blogs with advice for incoming students, as I am. Good luck!
Works Cited
https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/future/ready-apply/admission-categories/rotman-commerce#admission-requirements-accordion-3
https://rotmancommerce.utoronto.ca/future-students/
https://www.ontariouniversitiesinfo.ca/programs/194
Chelsea Tho, University of Toronto- Rotman Commerce '24
Utkarsh Singh, University of Toronto- Rotman Commerce '24