The best thing about Pomona is the people...and the milkshakes.
As a small, selective liberal arts college in California, on paper, Pomona was everything I ever dreamed of finding in a college. I thought to myself, "I could get an incredible education AND have palm trees on campus!? Can I get in there?" It wasn't until I started my time as a Pomona student, though, that everything I'd seen on paper came alive, and exceeded what I'd dreamed of.
Pomona's small size obviously makes it fast/easy to get around, and makes classes small (which is part of why professors are so accessible and classes are so discussion-based), but it also fosters the sense of community that is so tangible on campus. Yet not only is the community tight-knit--it's diverse, with students heralding from all over the world, with different racial/socioeconomic backgrounds, interests, perspectives and stories. Furthermore, there are multiple levels to the community, each of which offers support, from your Sponsor group (who you meet during your first year), to the Claremont consortium as a whole (you share classes, dining halls, clubs, and parties with the four adjacent colleges).
Pomona's selectivity has the advantage of creating a high standard for the academic rigor of the school, which not only brings your work and learning to a high level as a student, but opens doors for you school- and career-wise as an alum. That being said, part of the beauty of the Pomona experience is that the name "Pomona" is not as well known as the names of some other schools, and so students are not attracted to the school for the name in and of itself. Pomona attracts students who love the idea of everything Pomona stands for. Not only are they brilliant, but they are grounded, down-to-earth, and collaborative. You won't find a cutthroat atmosphere at Pomona, academically or socially.
As a liberal arts college, Pomona offers you breadth and depth in your education. It is more than common to have friends with crazy-sounding course combinations, like a pre-med student majoring in Japanese, a Psychology major minoring in Dance, or an English and Politics double-major. At Pomona you're really encouraged to try that one class that piques your interest, no matter how unrelated it is to what you always thought you wanted to focus on--and sometimes it's that encouragement that sets you down a whole new path you end up incredibly grateful to have stumbled upon.
Last, but not least, yes, Pomona is in California. The weather is amazing pretty much every single day (you can study for finals in December in your bathing suit), and you're surrounded by an array of awesome environments, which OTL (Pomona's student-run outdoors organization) lets you take advantage of (for free!!!). On any given weekend you can lead or participate in a trip to hike or ski on Mount Baldy, to explore Joshua Tree or the hot springs or Big Sur or LA, or go anywhere else you please.
So, overall, Pomona is just awesome. Whether you're having coffee or doing research with a professor, or having a debate with someone in your Sponsor group in your hall, or dancing at a party at one of the other schools, orrr trying one of the milkshakes at the Coop Fountain (do it), you're going to have an amazing time.