u/Fearless_Wave4867

Hot take, but I genuinely think Ted Rogers is a better undergrad business program than Rotman, not just “good for the price.”

The biggest reason is structure. Ted Rogers is built as a direct-entry business program from day one, while Rotman undergrad is layered on top of U of T’s broader system. That means Ted Rogers students get earlier and more consistent exposure to business-specific courses, career prep, and industry-facing experiences.

Second, the career pipeline is more intentional. Ted Rogers has a strong co-op and internship ecosystem that’s actually integrated into the program. Students graduate with real work experience, not just summer internships they had to figure out on their own. That makes a huge difference when recruiting for full-time roles.

Third, employer accessibility. Being embedded in Toronto’s downtown core gives Ted Rogers students daily proximity to companies, networking events, and part-time opportunities during the school year. It’s not just about prestige, it’s about consistent exposure and access.

Fourth, outcomes relative to effort. Rotman is known for grade deflation and intense academic pressure, which can hurt GPAs that matter for recruiting (especially finance, consulting, or grad school). At Ted Rogers, students can realistically maintain strong grades while building experience, which is often a better combination in the job market.

Finally, specialization and flexibility. Ted Rogers offers clear, career-aligned majors (like finance, accounting, marketing, etc.) with practical coursework tied to those paths. The program feels more directly aligned with actual business roles rather than heavily theoretical.

At the end of the day, for undergrad business specifically, a program that prioritizes experience, accessibility, and career outcomes over theory and prestige can arguably be the stronger choice. Ted Rogers fits that model better than Rotman.

Would love to hear counterpoints from people in either program.

So I applied to ivey + qcomm right, I’ve been looking at the Instagram acceptances pages for other schools in the Toronto area, and I see tons of people from every school getting into these top programs. However in my school, there are tons of smart kids who have everything needed: top grades, strong extracurriculars, strong presentation skills for the supp apps, but literally nobody has gotten into ivey / qcomm, including me. Could these programs be admitting by school preference / area and not by who’s actually a good fit? Im just very confused there should be atleast one person from my school admitted. It seems very likely to me that location / school plays a factor in acceptances.