The Grade 11 Summer Playbook for Canadian Commerce Program Applicants

Heading into summer without a plan can leave you playing catch-up during university applications in the fall.

Let's be honest: the summer after Grade 11 feels a little different.

You probably know, somewhere in the back of your mind, that this is the last real stretch before applications start. And that awareness can make it feel weirdly high-stakes. Like you're supposed to be doing something, but you're not quite sure what.

Here's the thing: you're right that it matters. But not in the way that stress usually suggests.

Build Something Worth Talking About

For programmes like Queen's Commerce, Ivey AEO, Rotman, Schulich, Sauder, and Desautels, grades are only part of what gets you in. These schools genuinely want to understand who you are when you're not studying, and this summer is one of your best chances to figure that out yourself.

The activities that tend to matter most aren't the flashiest ones. They're the ones where you actually did something: took initiative, worked with people, ran into a problem, figured it out (or didn't, and learnt from that too). A volunteer role, a part-time job, a community project, a small business idea — any of these can become a compelling part of your application if you were genuinely invested in it.

A Statistics Canada report on youth volunteering found that among full-time student volunteers, 82% reported developing interpersonal skills, 79% developed communication skills, and 64% built organisational or managerial skills. That's not a coincidence. It's what happens when you show up and try to contribute something real.

Ivey's AEO process, for example, explicitly looks for demonstrated leadership through extracurriculars, community involvement, and work experience. They're not asking what your title was. They're asking what you actually did with it.

So instead of asking "What will look good on my application?", try asking: "Where could I genuinely help, and what might I learn from it?"

Explore Leadership, Formal or Not

If you're still building confidence in business-related settings, summer can be a good time to push yourself a little. For example, Ivey's John F. Wood Summer Leadership Programme gives students hands-on exposure to case-based learning and university culture, and if you're targeting Ivey AEO, that kind of early familiarity is genuinely useful. Applications for the 2026 programme close May 25 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

But you don't need a formal programme to develop leadership. It can happen at a summer camp, in a community organisation, through a project you start yourself, or even in a family business. What matters isn't the prestige. It's whether you took responsibility for something, worked alongside other people, and grew from the experience. Those are the stories admissions readers remember.

The University of Toronto’s campus is a stunning, greenspace filled getaway carved out of a bustling, urban metropolis.

Visit Campuses If You Can

There's a big difference between knowing that Ivey is at Western in London, or that Desautels is in Montréal, and actually standing on those campuses and asking yourself: does this feel like somewhere I could thrive?

NACAC suggests setting aside two to four hours for a meaningful visit, enough time to see the campus, walk around the city, and get a real sense of the environment. Research has even found that something as small as the weather on visit day affects application rates. Applications dropped 8.3% on rainy visit days compared to sunny ones, which might sound silly, but it points to something real: how a place feels matters. Your gut is gathering data too.

If you're seriously considering schools outside your home province, try to visit at least one or two this summer. Walk around. Grab food nearby. Notice whether you can picture yourself there, not just getting in, but actually living and growing there.

Give Yourself Permission to Just Live

This is the part that sometimes gets overlooked: have fun.

See your friends. Travel if you can. Sleep in occasionally. Work a job that teaches you how to deal with people. Read something that has nothing to do with business school. Enjoy being seventeen, because that's actually what you are.

The strongest applications tend to come from students who are curious and engaged with the world, not from students who spent every hour of the summer optimising their extracurricular portfolio. Self-awareness is one of the hardest things to fake in an application, and it usually comes from living actual experiences, not from manufacturing them.

So yes, use this summer intentionally. Build something. Contribute somewhere. Visit a campus or two. Get a head start on understanding what these programmes are really looking for.

But leave room for the summer to just be a summer. The goal isn't only to get into a great business school. It's to become someone who's genuinely ready to make the most of it when you do.

Need help applying to summer programs, planning a meaningful passion project, or finding volunteer work that aligns with your goals? Reach out to one of our coaches today. We’re here to help you use your summer strategically while keeping it fun.