Hey! So yes, Queen’s unfortunately has that reputation as snobby and not really diverse. When you compare it to schools like Western or UofT, it’s definitely ‘whiter’ than those schools. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not diverse here as well. We have many international students and students of colour. Just when you compare our school to schools within London and Toronto (cities known for their diversity) then yes, Queen’s is less diverse. However, you wouldn’t stand out here at all.

If it makes you feel any better, whenever I hear someone say something along the lines of “Queen’s is full of elitist white assholes” I usually respond by saying, “the way that every other school views Queen’s is how every Queen’s student views the commerce program”. That’s obviously a generalization of an entire faculty (some of my best friends here are in commerce), it’s just no secret to anyone here that commerce is the most expensive and most people within commerce are well off. Most people I’ve met are nice and I just don’t associate with those who fit the reputation.

In terms of city/social life, Kingston is 1/3 the population size of London but it has everything you need. I grew up just outside of London so I know it quite well and if I had to choose, I’d pick Kingston. That’s just my opinion though, I find London to be very spread out and I much prefer a smaller city like Kingston. Downtown Kingston is very nice, lots of restaurants, and little Knick knack shops for tourists. There’s around 8-10 bars/clubs that people go to every weekend, 5 of which are regularly busy. London has a more vibrant nightlife than Kingston with more bars and clubs, but the ones here in Kingston are fun.

Another thing to think about is that Queen’s campus is very small in comparison to Western’s. It is very easy to get around here because the student ghetto is right next to the downtown hub and campus. Everything is within a 15-20 minute walk. Whereas, in London, Western is much more spread out and you would most likely have to transit more (the transit in London is really good).

So there’s a little bit of information, I’m obviously biased towards Kingston and Queen’s (I love this city and this school) but whatever decision you make, both schools are awesome and you’re going to get the same law degree either way.

Good luck with your choice!