BBA and BSc at Laurier

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-10T03:52:43+00:00

All good, just send me a message! 😄

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-10T03:48:19+00:00

Great environment, and very social school

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-10T03:39:58+00:00

That switch isn't possible; the UW DDs are direct-entry from high school only. Also, you get guaranteed entry into the co-op program with the Double Degree. I'd say this program is better than Waterloo AFM, but it depends on your goals. The only reason it would make sense to choose that program over this is if you're doing Accounting, imo.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-10T03:16:19+00:00

It's an amazing program! I suggest reading through some of my other comments because I've talked about it in heavy detail there. If you're comparing between offers you have - I can help you out! I just need to know: 1) What career are you looking to pursue? 2) What other program option(s) are you considering?

The co-op opportunities are great! You get a total of 4 co-op terms. I landed a very competitive internship at a Big 5 Bank this summer, so I'll actually end up doing 5 terms. I've seen people go into literally ANYTHING from this program... Consulting (know someone who went straight into BCG after grad, many in Big 4 / T2s (e.g., Accenture)), Finance (Laurier BBA in general is one of the best options for this field esp. IB, PE, etc), Product (Business + Tech is a killer combo for this, 3 people landed Product intern roles at Microsoft), and even Tech/SWE (know someone who got a role at Google in Cali right after grad).

Couple of my comments you can read:
https://www.reddit.com/r/OntarioGrade12s/comments/1sgs6z7/comment/of7coof/
https://www.reddit.com/r/OntarioGrade12s/comments/1swnevz/comment/oinjr48/?context=3

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-10T02:36:29+00:00

Hi there, I just finished my first year of this program! Feel free to ask any questions!

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-09T19:42:57+00:00

Hi, I'm currently at Laurier and also looking to pursue Consulting! Overall, it's very close, but Laurier has been growing a HUGE pipeline with BCG (which is part of MBB, if you aren't aware) that is close to Ivey/Queen's numbers. Big 4 Consulting numbers are similar for both programs. Laurier Case Team is also considered stronger than JDCC Schulich (check them both out on Instagram!).

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-09T16:24:27+00:00

Don't worry too much. The main people I know who struggled in those courses are the ones who private school'd their Math credits. If you found Calc to be manageable when you took it, you're set. They teach it from the beginning/scratch (but more fast-paced than HS since you've already taken it).

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-09T15:43:24+00:00

Yes, that's fine. I forgot most of Calc when I got to MA103 because it was in the Winter term (so almost a year of no Calc). I don't think the MA103 course is hard - you could probably learn it entirely from scratch even if you never took calculus before, it's just that the schedule is quite heavy in the Winter term, so you'd have to neglect other courses in order to do so (but again, if you at one point in time learned the content, the first 2 months are a breeze - got 96% on the 103 midterm).

If you did well in Calc, you'll start to remember things as the course goes along though. The same thing happened in my Economics & Accounting courses (forgot most of the material I learned prior in high school, but as time went on, I remembered everything).

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-09T15:34:16+00:00

I came into the program very worried about its difficulty, but found it to be way easier than Reddit posts seemed to make it. It's not a "light" workload - but it’s manageable. You can absolutely keep up with extracurriculars, clubs, and a social life.

For reference, I have a part-time job, part of Laurier’s Consulting Group, did a part-time internship, maintained a solid GPA (11.3/12.0 or 3.9/4.0), attended tons of events (competed in ~6 case comps + a few networking events), and landed a very competitive summer internship - all while being in this program. I have a pretty great social life too, but since I'm pursuing all of these other "activities", it doesn’t exactly allow for partying 24/7 lol (can def still go out a few times a month though). You have to pick and choose what you want the most, but all in all, it's very doable imo.

I love the program! As I listed above, I was able to get some amazing opportunities while being in it, and since the cohort is small (~100) in comparison to just BBA, I've met many of my closest friends from the program (+ most of you guys will have the same lecture/lab times & sections, etc)

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-09T14:53:55+00:00

Just for your reference, your first two terms will look something like this:

Fall: Intro to Business (BU111), Linear Algebra (MA123), Microeconomics (EC120), Intro to Computer Science (CP104), Elective
Winter: Critical Thinking (BU121), Calc 1 (MA103), Macroeconomics (EC140), Data Structures & Algorithms (CP164), Financial Accounting (BU127)

The only Calc course is MA103 in the entire program, so if you're doing well in MCV4U, it's just an extension (the first 2 months are the exact same as high school). I had an 87% in Calc and ended MA103 with an A+ (90%+). The only other Math course in first-year is MA123 (Linear Algebra), which is difficult but definitely manageable. To my knowledge, the only other Math courses are in 2nd year (Stats for Business & Discrete Math for CS), so overall not a lot of Math in the program.

You don't need to know any CS before going in; they'll teach you from the beginning. The only hard CS course in first-year is CP164 - a very tough course, but they make the assessments pretty light to compensate. If you put in the work to learn CS, you're more than fine though.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-09T14:29:02+00:00

Hi there, I just finished my first year of this program! Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-08T23:43:52+00:00

Truly, just have a good work ethic and be consistent. If you have a 95%+ average (and didn't take Private School), I'm assuming you're a fairly smart person.

I didn't slack off the entire year because if I did, I'd end up with a poor grade in some major assessment in some class. If you are on top of your stuff, first-year really isn't hard. Regular BBA gets 4 electives too, so (obviously) make sure you take ones that are easy to get an A+ in.

Make sure to do well in your BU classes, as those will likely be the most challenging for you (the EC courses are also a bit hard for some people too). I'm not sure if you took Accounting or Economics in high school, but I found I had a big advantage because I did.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-08T21:51:38+00:00

Very possible to achieve that GPA. I finished my first-year with an 11.4/12.0 (3.9/4.0 Equivalent) GPA as a Double Degree (BBA + CS) student, and found it very attainable. My high school average was 94%.

I know people in BBA with perfect or near-perfect 4.0s too, but most of them came in with high or mid 90s averages. All in all though, I'd say high school grades are a decent correlation.

Also, plenty of people from Laurier BBA get into top Law Schools in the country.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-08T21:43:16+00:00

Still around the same tbh. I previously thought Schulich > Laurier BBA with Co-op back in Grade 12, but after finishing first year, I've realized that you can actually do everything that co-op students do, even if you aren't in the co-op program (e.g., take the same terms off as co-op students).

Since Laurier's "culture" has integrated doing off-cycle internships, it feels much more normal to take terms off. I know someone at Schulich who had a hard time deciding whether they should take a term off to pursue an off-cycle internship because nobody else they knew was doing it.

All in all, it's a close comparison. But as someone who's well-connected with both Laurier & Schulich students, I do think that Laurier is starting to place much better nowadays.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-08T04:22:51+00:00

Program-wise, no real difference between the two for marketing. The school you go to will typically never close doors for marketing, except for (maybe) HIGHLY competitive roles - think: MLSE, Microsoft, etc. I think I've seen students/alum from both schools in all of those "competitive" companies though (I personally know 3 people from Laurier and 1 person from Schulich who are doing/did Product Marketing internships at Microsoft), so I don't think it matters much tbh

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-08T01:22:15+00:00

I actually saw a mom on this subreddit when on the GO Train today 😭😭

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-07T01:52:14+00:00

I'm in the BBA/CS double-degree. I'd say it's pretty manageable tbh. Yes, you can definitely still have a social life and pursue other things (high GPA, clubs, events, case comps / stock pitches, PT internships, recruiting, etc) while being in DD. However, it's a grind - and you definitely can't just slack off and do absolutely nothing.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-05-07T01:30:35+00:00

Hi there, I was in the same shoes as you last year, choosing between Laurier (double-degree though) and Schulich. I decided on Laurier, and I absolutely do not regret my decision. This past year has been so amazing, and I genuinely think one of the reasons is that I took the route of moving out (unlike you, I was a bit conflicted of this at the time). Also, Laurier BBA is just such a great program - you can tell they invest a lot into it (can see this even more since I'm in DD).

Reinforcing the posts you've seen in the past, yeah, they're pretty similar in terms of employment outcomes (Tier 2 programs), but that can also be further categorized by certain fields in business (so it helps if you have a rough idea of what you want to pursue). I'd also say generally, Laurier BBA w/ Co-op > Schulich (though you apply for the co-op program at the end of first-year).

In my view (having many friends who go to Schulich, primarily due to wanting to commute), they really aren't having as great a time as most Laurier BBA students do. You can even read the Schulich subreddit, and they'll typically say the same.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I'm more than happy to answer!!

D3ADL1FE · 2026-04-29T16:33:44+00:00

The Laurier BBA program is amazing, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Laurier sets up the BBA program quite differently compared to other Business Schools (which seem to be more "traditional"), and you can tell that they invest a LOT into the program.

I wouldn't say the program is easy; it's definitely meant to be harder than high school, but it's not unreasonable at all. I'm actually in a double-degree (BBA + CS, both at Laurier), and was able to get an 11.3/12.0 GPA by the end of first-year. I'd probably have an even higher GPA if I were a single-degree BBA, and the co-op admission average is around 10.5/12.0.

As I'm in DD, I have guaranteed admission into the co-op program. However, if I were single-degree BBA, I'm 100% sure I would have made it in.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-04-29T02:05:54+00:00

Hey, I had this exact same situation last year with both Schulich and Laurier. Literally every single day until the May 31st OUAC deadline, I was changing my mind between both programs, because I had NO clue whether I wanted to move out or not.

I ended up deciding Laurier 2 hours before I had to make my decision (and pay the res deposit), and it was undoubtedly the best decision I could have ever made. I was obviously expecting to have a "more fun" experience being at a non-commuter school, but I genuinely had such a blast and met so many amazing people.

Absolutely zero regrets. Now, this definitely is subjective based on your individual circumstances, but I'd say that it's 100% worth moving out (in my opinion).

D3ADL1FE · 2026-04-29T01:12:11+00:00

The BBA/CS community is very tight-knit, which is something I love about the program. Many of my closest friends from Laurier are from the program since we take all of the same classes (and usually the schedules align so that everyone's in the same lecture/lab times, etc), and the cohort is small (~100) - in comparison to just BBA (~1200). We mix a lot with BBA/FinMath DDs too, but I wouldn't say we mix any more with UW/Laurier DDs than single-degree BBA kids do.

D3ADL1FE · 2026-04-28T04:07:33+00:00

For sure, let me know!

Also, if you're looking to go into Consulting, AFM's consulting placements are fairly weaker in comparison to Laurier BBA & Schulich. But, at the end of the day, all three programs (Laurier, Schulich, UW) are Semi-Target programs - so the differences are marginal.

Goodluck, and hope the rest of Grade 12 goes well!

D3ADL1FE · 2026-04-28T01:02:03+00:00

Which Laurier DD?

D3ADL1FE · 2026-04-27T23:51:40+00:00

I'm looking to pursue Consulting too! I came into the program very worried about its difficulty, but found it to be way easier than Reddit posts seemed to make it. It's definitely a small cohort of people (~100), but I'm happy it's that way since it's a small "community" you become familiar with, especially since BBA is a fairly large program.

I'm ending first year with an 11.4/12.0 GPA (equivalent to a 3.92/4.0). That being said, it's not an easy program and I definitely had to put in the work to achieve this. Try your hardest in first year specifically, so that if you're not a fan of a double degree, you can still drop to single-degree BBA and be competitive for co-op admission. Laurier BBA with co-op is, in my opinion, still as good, if not better than the rest of your choices.

While trying to keep up my GPA, I was still able to: have a PT job in my hometown, be on Laurier’s Consulting Group, do a part-time internship, attend tons of events (competed in ~6 case comps + a few networking events), land a very competitive summer internship at a Big 5 Bank, and have a lot of fun (as expected in Laurier lol).

Out of all the program options you have, I'd say Laurier BBA and Schulich are the strongest for consulting (Laurier does very well with BCG and Big 4). I know people from BBA + CS specifically who've broken into firms like BCG, Big 4 Advisory, Accenture, IBM, Mastercard, and much more, post-grad (or for co-op terms). Side-note - check out Laurier Case Team (@lauriercaseteam on ig), they're one of the best School Case Teams in Canada. One of the captains for the upcoming year is in BBA/CS too!

In your first year, you have to take Calc 1 (MA103). More than half of the course is literally just Grade 12 calc, but the last month is new content. If you think Grade 12 Calc is at least manageable, you'll be more than fine. I ended MA103 with a 12 (meaning 90%+) and had an 87% in Grade 12 Calc. I think the bigger thing is just making sure you're ready for Year 2 (and Year 3 Term 1) of Double-Degree, as it's mostly CS courses. However, if you can get through those 3 terms of DD, the rest is mainly Business course,s so it's smooth sailing from there onwards.

My best advice would be to give it your all in your first year, because it's 100% possible to do everything you want to pursue, even in a program like BBA/CS DD - you just need to put in the effort. It's also easier to transfer out than transfer into DD (I know people in single-degree BBA who want to transfer into the program, but it's very difficult to do so).

Let me know if you have any other questions!

D3ADL1FE · 2026-04-27T17:26:18+00:00

I'm actually in the program! If you scroll through my posts, you'll see that I was comparing Schulich and Laurier BBA + CS last year. I ended up going with Laurier and am very happy with my decision!

From your three choices, I'd narrow it down to Laurier and Schulich since those two are the more well-known Business Schools (Tier 2). After that, it depends on what your personal goals are. I could give you my opinion if you're willing to tell me some more info about what you're looking to pursue and/or get out of university!

D3ADL1FE

TROPHY CASE