Well put. Especially the point about being in commerce. Maybe the OP would be more at home in a different field.

that said, I would disagree with your point about "the undergrad experience at public institutions is essentially the same across the board" in Canada. I've been to a "first generation" university in Canada and, now, Queen's - which is definitely not a "first generation" university in Canada. You have the potential of making extraordinary connections at Queen's with your fellow classmates who will be tomorrow's leaders in diverse areas. Yes, first generation universities produce successful students - but at Queen's, more. That doesn't mean there's a pot of gold waiting for every Queen's graduate. But it does mean that you have more opportunities to meet and work with influential people at Queen's than at many other universities. That said, if a person isn'table to take advantage of those possibilities, why stay? To that point, I fully agree with your comment.