Pomona College Top Questions

I was attracted to Pomona College because it seemed to offer flexibility in the coursework. That is to say, it had a strong "liberal arts" curriculum in which students may take numerous and varied introductory courses. In this regard, it was similar to Brown, according to my College Guide book. In retrospect, I have no idea how truly unique this environment is.

Pomona is not perfect. Some would say it's too small, that it's too much of a bubble, or that it doesn't prepare you for real life. Those are not totally unfounded criticisms. Yes it is small, but 5000+ students (when you count the 5cs, which you really have to anyway) is more than you could ever meet in four years. Yes, it can be a close-knit community, but its very easy to get off-campus and into the city or elsewhere, I do it almost every weekend. And yes, you do eat in dining halls and you don't have to worry about managing finances or doing many domestic tasks. But, well, I don't really have a rebuttal for that last one except to say that you are probably smart and capable and will figure those things out perfectly fine when you need to. In the meantime, you can enjoy an awesome four years at Pomona College!

The classes are much smaller and more individual based. Professors at Pomona are very easily reachable and a bond can be easily created and maintained. I even have the cell phone number of one my teachers and meet with him outside of class. Moreover, Pomona is a very diverse campus with ethnic difference galore, along with a very diverse selection of food (which is wonderful and very tasty). It's a very academically intense school which has pushed me in the first semester more than many of the other schools I considered.

small classes, quality of students

Pomona College is unique for a small school in that it offers a very comprehensive set of majors--from science to art to music to psychology, all of the departments are really strong departments. Every class that is offered is quality, and they are all small. Unlike many other small schools, Pomona doesn't specialize, it offers opportunities for all interests.

I don't think there's any other school in the country that has such a universally friendly student body. It's actually so friendly, sometimes it feels weird because I don't think that culture of just being kind exists anywhere else.

Student-faculty relationships, long-lasting nature of student friendships, access to LA but also to beaches and nature, Claremont Consortium

Despite being a small liberal arts college, Pomona boasts phenomenal science programs, with a strong emphasis on undergraduate research training. Pomona offers plenty of opportunities to gain experience in your desired career field before you have to go out into the real world, so to speak.

There are NO attractive women here. My friends and I attempted to make a top 5 list in the freshman class and we came up with two names. Yikes

don't worry about college- it'll be ok.

Pomona's endowment is steadily rising and the college is happy to fund your ideas. There are many roads by which to obtain funding for a musical performance, a new club, a party - whatever you want. Mostly it's a matter of taking the initiative to do so and the money's yours for the spending. Pomona students can succumb to Southern California laziness and general apathy towards events (even the "free food" events can have low attendance), but when, on occasion, students do show up, they do so en masse, and events become a lot of fun.

Pomona is not perfect. I won't lie and tell you it is or try to convince you that it is the greatest. It hasn't been easy and definitely not fun 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} time, but it has become my home away from home. I've met some of the craziest, weirdest, grossest, but sweetest people there and I love it. In the beginning Pomona was like a new pair of shoes that didn't fit/feel right, and after a few years its become that broken in pair of shoes you wear everyday.

Pomona is the shit!!! While I think I would have enjoyed going to an Amherst or Williams, Pomona has been everything I ever wanted and more. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of coming. It has to have better weather than wherever else you are interest, not to mention it is 45 minutes from LA/Beach/Skiing/Disneyland. Pomona is a parent paid for four year resort vacation hot spot.

Pomona, like any other school, is not meant for everyone, but it was certainly meant for me. I love it here. If you're thinking of applying, prospie (stay the night with a current student) to get an idea of the actual experience here. Like anything else, you can read all you want about it but you won't truly know what it's like until you do it yourself.

Pomona is a great school indeed. Great academics and opportunities, and their financial aid (if you need it) is excellent!! Depending on your background, you might have different experiences with regard to adjusting at Pomona. If you come from an urban city center, or went to school with more racial/ethnic diversity, it will be a shock. If you're politically conservative or religious, you'll have to take the initiative to find communities that support you, but they're there. But if you ultimately want a close-knit undergraduate experience where you'll have more support and attention, then Pomona is for you.

We are two hours from the mexican border. Nuff said.

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Pomona is a great place. I absolutely love it here.

No complaints here! I love the place to death and hate the prospect of leaving next year :) Pomona does have the slight disadvantage of not being as well known as the east coast liberal arts schools outside of California.

I think that's all I have to say. Everyone should go to Pomona. Seriously.

Only bad thing about a small school is that reputations (true or untrue!) can be made quickly. Everyone WILL know your business. But usually you'll know theirs too. I don't think people are particularly judgmental about what they hear, it's just pretty unavoidable that they hear it.

Pomona admissions are very competitive, but that shouldn't discourage you from applying. A lot of my friends who were accepted were totally shocked by the decision and though they wouldn't get in at all. But the admissions board looks at each individual application and may look past your SATs or GPA if there is some other shining quality about you. So, you might as well apply! And, if you are accepted, it would be the biggest mistake of your life to not come here. Only at Pomona will you find true happiness.

ERRRRRGH!

You know it's a good sign when you want to take eight classes a semester, learn four new sports, two new instruments, visit more national parks, do more NYT crosswords, and hang our with your friends more. The only problem is time.

Pomona has a lot of great, fun traditions from ski-beach day (skiing in the mountains in the morning and tanning at the beach in the afternoon) to death by chocolate (a room full of nice, delicious chocolate to relieve stress during finals). Pomona's climate is awesome- after all it's southern california, and it's not surprising to see shirtless, shoeless frisbee of football on the quad in the middle of january and tanning by the pool in february and march. Sports on campus are fun, with lots of intramurals and opportunities to have fun with friends. The varsity sports combine with Pitzer College tend to be pretty decent for division three and its always fun to go to the games against CMS (Claremont Mckenne, Harvey-Mudd, and Scripps) in whatever sports. In those games it doesn't matter how good either team actually is, it will be a fun, close game. Students tend go all out for the CMS games, but besides that going to athletic events isn't as big as it is on other campuses.

If you're going to give student led tours while at Pomona, don't end the majority of your sentences with "if you like diarrhea!" You'll probably get fired. Examples of some sentences: The dining hall food is pretty good... The dorm showers are pretty nice...

Hah, Say Anything. Funny movie.

The main thing is that Pomona is a lot of fun. Very few students are unhappy, and the college does a great job of making sure that this is the case. Two sophomore sponsors (one male and one female) live in a hall of freshmen to make sure that everyone is happy. They are not there to punish anyone, and act as older brothers and sisters. The sponsor system is very successful. Sponsors and sponsees remain good friends the rest of the way through school.

Like I had any holds barred above...

Pomona administration kind of babies their students. I had to petition to live off-campus and it was an incredibly long ordeal. For people who love to live in a dorm, it won't be a problem. For people who don't, prepare to be in the minority and be willing to fight.

Pomona is a fabulous school -- it really doesn't get any better than this place: incredible financial aid, lots of services and support, good people, beautiful dorms, great weather and stellar academics.

The Pomona faculty and staff want students to feel comfortable, but I have changed quite a bit since coming here.

I love Pomona. I think I wrote that already. One of our dining hall looks like the Great Hall in Hogwarts. There's a fountain outside our psych department that plays a 5-minute lightshow every hour (on the hour) at night. It's a fantastic way to spend all-nighters. There's a group of boys who play wiffleball in the courtyard outside my room. if they hit it through my window, they get a million runs. Our ballroom dancing team is National Champions The Coop serves fantastic mint-chocolate-chip milkshakes.

if you go to pomona you will never ever want to leave! there's no way you can be unhappy there! everyone should apply!!

Come visit. There's nothing like the real thing.

As a second-semester Senior who will be graduating in about six weeks, I have to say that I am quite sad to be leaving this place. I have made a lot of good friends here, I have a fantastic job lined up for after I graduate, and I can't imagine having had a better experience in four years of college.

It's a great school.