Pomona College Top Questions

Most people at Pomona are friendly and brilliant. There isn't a competitive atmosphere like there is at many of the Ivy League schools. There is no backstabbing or fierce competition. For the most part, there are not curves in classes: if everyone can earn an A, the professor will be happy to give out all As. Therefore, the students go out of their way to help each other, and form a tight-knit, caring academic community. They are also, for the most part, fun and fun-loving, but this includes students with a wide range of interests and many different personality characteristics. There are the outgoing, the introverts, the gamers, the sports-players, etc, but unlike in high school everyone tends to get along with everyone. I have friends from every walk of life and I have a strong bond with each and every one of them. Most students at Pomona are very liberal and not religious at all, so this can be a bit overwhelming for incoming students with different political or religious views. But, don't let it discourage you, as I guarantee you will be able to find some students who share your views.

Well I told you about the student body already… Check out the stereotypes section.

Pomona's very PC for the most part. The only type of person that I can think of who would feel out of place is either a very conservative person, or a very outspokenly religious person. Religion is obviously important to a lot of people, but proselytizing is looked down upon. One important thing about Pomona, at least to me, is the people you meet. I was worried about the size of the college when I came here, but now I think that you actually befriend MORE people than you would at a large university because the networks are smaller and more tightly interwoven, causing you to see the same person more often. I love the size, and am confident that I won't feel claustrophobic by graduation. 1/3 of students are from CA, but it seems like less. People are from all over. People don't usually talk about how much they'll earn one day because they don't know! There is a sense, however, that if you come out of POmona, you don't need to fret too much about money.

Pomona has a very diverse student population for such a small school. This environment makes it so no student feels out of place. There are organizations for every type of student on campus: Women's Union, Black Student Union, LGBT Union, Jewish Student Mentors, Asian American Mentors, etc. What's special though is that all these groups interact on campus. Although there is some self segregation amongst the groups, most people find that everyone interacts with eachother on an equal basis. The Pomona student body is one of the most laid back in the country. Often kids come to class wearing either sweat pants or Pajamas. This dress code even applies to classes that start in the afternoon.

While Pomona prides itself on being diverse, it is a little more homogenous than the school would like you to think. Racially, while there are a few students from most every background imaginable, a few racial groups tend to seperate themselves from the rest of the student body. That is not say that there is any hostility whatsoever between races, in fact Pomona students tend to be extraordinarily tolerant, but there is a little bit of seperation between the large group of white students and the minority students. Economically, there is a lot of diversity at Pomona, though one would never know it. The rich students (of whom there certainly are a decent amount) do not flaunt their money at all and everyone is on the same level as soon as they step foot on campus. Finally, politically, there is very little diversity. Pomona is a liberal school, and there aren't many conservatives on campus. This can, unfortunately, lead to a lack of diversity in intellectual conversations.

Pomona has a lot of white, upper-middle class students, but there are also a good number of international students, and a lot of students are on financial aid. In fact, the administration just changed the financial aid policy to be all grants, and no loans in addition to a need-blind acceptance policy. Pomona students can be seen wearing jeans, sweatpants, and the girls love to pull out the dresses and skirts when the weather heats up. Pomona students are predominantly left-wing when it comes to politics. I don't think I've ever heard about Pomona students talking about how much they'll earn one day.

Pomona is very politically correct so whenever anything that may even seem the slightest bit racist, homophobic or sexist is found, the school is all over it. This can be a good thing, but sometimes the PC is taken too far (for example the white party at CMC). Pomona does have small groups blacks/latinos/asian/queer and such on campus, but some groups don't seem to be represented well in the Pomona community, such as blacks. Most Pomona students are probably from California and the north east, and most students are politically aware. As with most college campuses in the nation, Pomona is predominantly left. Some students talk about how much they'll earn, but you don't hear people talk about it often.

Pomona is a relatively diverse campus, although there are certainly plenty of rich, pretty white kids. There is a lot of effort made to ensure that other groups have a voice though, as well as some sort of "support" organization or friendly space. This leads, in a lot of times, to different groups being fairly insular; i.e. "clicks" of people of similar backgrounds. This isn't to say that there isn't interaction, it's just that you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone to form meaningful relationships with people who aren't like you. Which I'd say is pretty normal. A bit more than half of the student body is on financial aid, and the average aid package is about half of tuition. So with that in mind, you have to assume almost half of Pomona's students can afford the hefty price tag. That said though, "income discussions" are pretty rare, and we're pretty liberal and largely politically aware and active on some level.

Students are Pomona push themselves very hard to do their best, but at no point are they competitive with others. Study groups are quite common and everyone helps each other out. Maybe the strangest thing about the student body is that while everyone is extremely smart, no one wants to act like they are. Everyone is very laid back and loves to have fun.

I've already written about how awesome the students are. But this comes with two caveats: Pomona students are, on the whole, rich, and also fail at not -acting- rich. This is bound to make certain other people uncomfortable. First off, by the numbers, over half of Pomona students don't even -apply- for financial aid, and the school costs over $45K a year! But what's more noticeable is just a blatant disregard in a large part of the student body about how much is spent. So much money is spent on everything from alcohol to video games by the students that one is bound to feel left out if one comes from humbler means. An example: a friend bought a high-end laptop, a Nintendo DS, a Nintendo Wii, an iPod Touch, and more one year without batting an eye; I had to work three jobs that same year just so I could help my parents afford paying for college, and when I did have to purchase another laptop, it was out of necessity because my old one broke, and put a strain on my ability to even continue attending Pomona.

I feel that there is a great deal of diversity at Pomona in terms of race, religion, sexual orientation, class, etc. A student who would feel out of place would be someone who is only comfortable being around people who look, talk, and think like them. The students here are from all over the country and the world. While most students proclaim to be on the left (and I think that is pretty true of the school overall) many people are a lot closer to the center and just left of it. The thing about Pomona is that there is no typical student other than saying that they are usually intelligent and passionate to learn and grow.

Pomona's student body is an extremely mixed bag, and it's hard to speak for everyone. My personal experiences with different groups on campus has been positive. Political correctness is emphasized a lot, and some groups feel like they have a right not to be offended by anything that is said on campus. I don't like that attitude, but I can easily identify with groups on campus like the Pomona Student Union, which tries to emphasize open discourse and challenging ideas. Everyone can find a place here, regardless of what concerns you most. If you care, there will be a group for it and there will be funding. There aren't many students that would feel out of place at Pomona, but if you're concerned mainly with appearance and prestige, don't go here. Pomona is a very casual environment, and people wear what they find comfortable. I dressed up a lot more for high school than I do for college. Flip flops are a must. Different types of students interact all the time; students in freshman year are divided mainly by sponsor groups. (Sponsor groups are designated by the college; they house groups of 12-20 students with two sophomore sponsors by common interests to live in the same hall. This is the analog of family.) There is no stereotypical 'table' or 'group' at Pomona, people are pretty well mixed. Financially, there are many rich people at Pomona and quite a few that are not. Socio-economic background is something that Pomona doesn't like to talk about. Students are extremely politically aware and active; there is a variety of events put on by the Pomona Student Union to emphasize political participation and activism. The slant of campus is predominantly left, but more in the progressive college way than in any sort of 'unaccepting' way.

The students rock. End of story. Casual conversations turn into serious friendships and most people have a solid, enjoyable group of friends. Freshman year is especially good in this regard because the college puts a lot of effort into bringing freshman together and making people comfortable and happy at school.

I would hope that nobody would feel out of place at Pomona. I've heard people complain that the Claremont Colleges are not diverse enough, but I have not had a problem meeting many people of different ethnicities and cultures. Students are pretty laid back about style and dress; many come to class in pajamas or sweats. Everyone at Pomona seems to do an extra-curricular. There are many athletes (division three, so they are good but sports don't run their lives), musicians, artists, political activists, actors. It makes for fun conversation as everybody truly has something to bring to the table. The student body is prodominantly liberal, as are the faculty.

I think there's a large disconnect b/w the sub-free and the substance use kids. I'm not sure which group is to blame for that, maybe both? People don't really talk about their financial backgrounds that much. Pomona's student body is very liberal, and perhaps not as open to ideas that don't agree with their own as they should be.

The best thing about Pomona is the people. I'm from Manhattan, and when I got here I was actually freaked out by how nice the people were. People here are friendly, outgoing, kind, interesting, and trustworthy..and it isn't fake. Unlike schools with strict honor codes, the good nature of the people here is all natural. And not in an annoying or creepy way. Guys here actually treat you with respect. Professors actually care about who you are. And people will actually greet you on your way to class. I think admissions officers really consider your personality when they read your application. They want people who will contribute to the community in a unique, interesting, and positive way. One of the most important things I've learned during my time at Pomona is not to judge people based on appearances. There have been several instances where I saw a person and figured I wouldn't like them, and then I realized just how cool they were.

Students are predominantly left, but generally not politically active. Groups that are most active are from minority groups. There have been occasional verbal attacks against the LGBT community in specific. There is support for minority group members who seek it.

Pomona's student body is the best thing about Pomona. Their bright, friendly and know how to enjoy themselves. It's not really a stressed-out environment here outside of finals week where it gets a little hectic (though, don't worry: Death by Chocolate will cheer you back up in December.) Lots of interaction happens at meals and people are always friendly. It can get a little cliquey by sophomore year, but you may find your best friends after sorting through a few groups. People seem to lean left/liberal/progressive and can be pretty adamant about it. Most students do seem to come from well-off backgrounds though and it can lead to a bit of a bubble-like atmosphere where you forget the ills outside.

Once again everyone is very PC, but you can find people from almost every interest, and everyone knows everyone so it's easy to relate to other people.

Most Pomona students are from the Coasts (and mostly the West Coast), but there definitely students from the midwest, and international students. There are a lot of students from the Bay Area and from Southern California, but I've never seen groups of friends form because people came from the same state/ city.

I feel like Pomona's student body is pretty diverse. I kinda wish we were more racially diverse (not that we aren't, but there is an obvious white majority) but in other aspects we are diverse. Students major in everything- there isn't one dominant major or area of study. Students are primarily liberal, but there is definitely a conservative presence on campus, and kids are usually open-minded enough not to let political or religious views get in the way of friendship/conversation. The biggest movement on campus is environmentalism. We're very casual. Flip-flops are almost the required uniform, and no one really "dresses up" for class. Sweats or even pajamas aren't uncommon for morning classes.

pomona is really PC sometimes to an annoying extent, but there is a group for everyone. I think everyone will find a place to fit in. Students wear anything, but it's really casual. you know almost everyone, and groups of friends overlap a lot, but as usual you will be best friends with the swim team if you swim, etc. Lots of students are from California, New York, Chicago or the Pacific North-West. All financial backgrounds are prevalent but it's very hard to tell if someone has money or not. Yes, students are both politically aware and active and are very predominantly left. Yes, students talk about how much they'll earn.

The only people that I think would feel out of place at Pomona are really conservative students. Other than that, I really think that everyone can fit in here. There really is a little bit of something for everyone, and there are SO many clubs. Pomona is really diverse, although the majority of students are either from CA or the Northeast. The South is pretty poorly represented. Hardly no one dresses up for class--jeans are prominent, and flip-flops are an absolute must. Students are very politically active, and we are (in general) very liberal.

Pomona is a good place to start learning about your racial, sexual, socioeconomic identity; these communities are pretty tight. However, at a certain point, the apathy prevalent over most of the campus will start to wear you down. Of course, it's a majority-white school, and the admission rates for Asian Americans has been falling steadily over the past few years. There are also a lot of students here whose families can afford to pay the entire $45,000 tuition every year, so expect a lot of students who travel for fun without wincing or without considering that other students might not have the same privileges. There are some white kids who are cool and hang out with and work with the people of color in the social justice groups, but the average white/rich kid doesn't seem to want to go out of his/her way to make new friends or challenge his/her own privilege. So as a very politicized student, unless you get into the small political community here, you'll feel out of place. As a poor student, you may feel out of place. Most students wear what you might find at Abercrombie & Fitch or American Eagle and Rainbow-brand flipflops. Most Pomona students are from California, but there are a lot of students also from the Pacific Northwest.

An uptight, super competitive, cutthroat person would feel out of place here. Conservatives are rare but exist and not too concerned with monetary gains. Generally, students want to be happy and learn. People generally wear clothes to class, sometimes without shoes, sometimes without shirts between classes. casual stuff. All students interact. The idea is that everyone who got in to Pomona belongs here and is here for a really cool reason. Talk to anyone and you'll learn something new. I'm a jock, live in a "hippie shack", live with a stereotypical intellectual and am best friends with a girl form India. It's pretty eclectic. Pomona just started scholarship programs where the school provides tons of financial aid. As a result, there are people from all different economic backgrounds.

Pomona is a very, very liberal campus. I don't think anyone would feel out of place at Pomona that wouldn't feel out of place elsewhere.

There's an incredibly strong drive to be open, accepting and politically correct here. There are definitely a lot of activist types, and the administration buys into it, so by the end of orientation freshman year, just about everyone is really excited about promoting equality and identity...things I hadn't really thought much about before. Also, most students are really interested in sustainability. It's quite a responsible place, and I always thought that sounded boring, but it's actually nice.

Our students are not very preppy. It is common to wear shorts and a t-shirt. I recognize that I am a little out of place in my dress. I wear more collared shirts than most people and people think simply because I do I am an asshole. I think it is a little unwarranted but I do think if someone wants to make an assumption about me because of how I dress I don't need to waste my time with them. Students are very right and while I don't follow the trend I think people are rather understanding of other ideas even though people disagree with my views. I find students are less career driven here at Pomona and many students don't really have a long-term plan. That is just how it is, I don't see it as a negative or a positive.

The student body here is fairly diverse in most areas besides the fact that the majority of the students seem to be more liberal than conservative. Almost anyone you meet can offer an interesting conversation, and concern with money in the future (as far as jobs) seems relatively limited.

Pomona students are predominantly liberal, blue-state, upper-middle class kids who went to nice public schools or fancy private schools. They were the kids in high school who took lots of AP classes, overloaded themselves with extracurriculars, and were a little nerdy but well-liked. They dressa little preppy and a little crunchy - different but not too different. Pomona prides itself on recruiting students from more diverse backgrounds, but that really is the dominant culture here. Four tables of students in the dining hall might consist of the jocks (since we're so small, a high proportion of students are varsity athletes), nerdier sub-free kids (a relatively high contingency doesn't drink), outdoorsy kids (our outdoors club is huge), and the party-goers (there are some who go out most nights a week). It really is pretty fluid though - it's not too scary to show up at the dining hall alone, since you can usually find some friends to sit with.

People who do not take learning seriously and people who take it too seriously would not fit in at Pomona. We like to learn and get excited by it but most of us don't think it's the end of the world to get a B-after a while you realize it's about what you are learning and how you apply that to life that really matters. It may say that Pomona is 50/50 when it comes to political views but most people fall into the middle or middle left categories. If you consider yourself liberal in the classical and at least minutely liberal in the contemporary sense you will find most people will agree with you on most issues. Although there is this agreement the answers different people have for the world's problems are different. 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Pomona students receive financial aid. This is kind of deceiving because it can mean a small Pell Grant or a full ride. On the plus side Pomona is going to a 'no loan' policy which makes what used to be loans into grant money e.g. people's loans are taken away. Yes, some people will leave in debt but it will be significantly less debt than before. If you think about it the other way, 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of our population can afford the $45k plus it costs to go here. Most people do NOT talk about how much they spent on their $400 Gucci sunglasses, they just wear them and people most often assume they're fake anyway.

Pomona definitely leans to teh left. Students are very politically correct and there are groups for many races, religions, and for LGBT that students can easily get involved in. Financial aid is need blind so students come from all over the socio economic spectrum. Students are casual and often wear flip flops and tank tops to class.

pomona is a liberal school, and there is a fair amount of political awareness here. however, this varies across the population and not everyone is politically active by any means. i would not say that i am very politically active at all, but i know plenty of people who are.

Pomona's population is pretty heterogenous, and minority groups tend to clump together- whether they're self-segregating or less accepted by the majority is hard to say though. A ditzy sorority girl or meat head jock would feel horribly out of place at Pomona. Pomona dress is very casual. People wear everything from pajamas, to athletic clothes, to jeans and a t-shirt. The weather is usually pretty warm, so comfort is a plus, and flip flops are pretty much the only footwear people have. About 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Pomona kids are from California. The rest are from all over the place, with a few percent of international students.

Most students are wear pretty informal, relaxed clothing to class. Some people choose to present themselves more formally but it's really up to you. I don't think students put too much thought into it. Different types of students definitely interact. Of course it is natural for people to have a tendency to gravitate toward people like them, who they can relate to. But I think the intimacy in the classroom and the way the campus community is organized really encourages people to branch out and meet lots of people with different backgrounds. Most students live on campus for all four years; when you live in close proximity to people, eat in the same places, go to the same parties, and participate in the same class discussions, you're bound to meet a lot of different people. Most Pomona students are from California but there is actually a lot of geographic diversity. I would bet that every year the school has someone from almost every state if not all and then there's also international students. Most students are probably from middle to middle upperclass families. But there are definitely people from both extremes of the economic strata. It seems like a lot of Pomona students are politically active and aware. I would say definitely more so than the average 18-22 year olds. Most people are pretty liberal but they also tend to be the most outspoken. It probably is more well balanced than it seems.

Everyone gets along for the most part. The school is incredibly diverse, but people are generally accepting of the difference. Personally, I think that attending a school with a homogeneous student body would be boring.

Its Southern California, so on a nice, sunny day, people are wearing shorts, tank tops, and sunglasses out and about. Its a really relaxed, comfortable sort of a "dress-code" Most of the campus leans to the left of the political scale, undoubtedly. But there is a lot of discourse and discussion about all aspects of politics, especially now, with the Primaries going on.