Academics
At Pomona College in Claremont, you can get “an academically rigorous education” in a “low-stress California atmosphere.” At this prestigious liberal arts school, “The professors are, for the most part, fantastic—engaging, creative, and sharp,” and “all classes are taught by professors, not grad students or TAs.” With small class sizes in every department, “there is an emphasis on collaborative learning,” and “many professors are great discussion leaders and really motivate students to get involved in class.” Students have the advantage of “getting to know professors outside the classroom, in any setting, from office hours, to Thanksgiving dinner at their homes.” Illustrating how personal the experience can be, a student tells us, “Today, I had a class with seven people in it, then lunch with a physics professor, and then a personal tutorial with a philosophy professor.” Another student adds, “Between department barbecues, parties, and weekend retreats, by the time you’re an upperclassman, you will know most of the professors in your major department quite well.” In complement to the intimate academic atmosphere, Pomona “offers the resources of a large university” through The Claremont College consortium, which offers joint events and cross-registration with four adjoining colleges. Among other programs, “Pomona pays for students to take otherwise unpaid internship positions.” Students praise Pomona’s “efficiency in taking care of administrative tasks such as financial aid and registration,” adding that the administration “is very good at responding to what students want.”
Student Body
At Pomona, only one-quarter or so of students are from California, yet the California attitude reigns supreme. “Flip-flops, polo, or tank tops and shorts” are the unofficial uniform—and the overall vibe some get is that of the “liberal, upper-middle-class, hipster athlete.” Don’t, however, judge a book by its cover: “You will meet the football player who got a perfect score on his SAT or the dreadlocked hippie who took multivariable calculus when he was 16.” Students report a “decent level of diversity and a strong international community.” Studious and talented, Pomona undergraduates “excel in the classroom and usually have some sort of passion that they pursue outside of the classroom.” As one puts it, “underneath our sundresses and rainbow flip-flops—everybody is really passionate about something or other.”
Campus Life
Pomona students are “ridiculously happy” about their lot in life, and why shouldn’t they be? They’re living in a “perfect world full of intelligent, engaging, and open individuals, amazing academics, brilliant opportunities to get involved in, and enough sunshine to make anyone happy to be alive.” The weather is a key aspect of the experience, and “on a nice day, everyone heads outside in shorts and T-shirts to do their class work.” On any given day, “you’ll see people setting up telescopes outside the dorms at night to try to get a glimpse of the stars, you’ll find people practicing ukulele on our quad, you’ll see students filming for a project in the dining halls, [or] you’ll see someone riding around campus on a bamboo bike.” This attitude extends to athletics, as “many people are involved in intramural sports,” and students love “hiking, skiing, and going to the beach year round.” For those seeking out lower-key outdoors activities, “Joshua Tree is only an hour and a half away, so there are camping trips there just about every weekend.” Though the school is small, there are four other undergraduate colleges in the Claremont Consortium, and Pomona students can “take their classes, eat at their dining halls, go to their parties, swim in their pools, and generally share in a great experience.” When it’s time to blow off steam, “there are large 5C-sponsored parties that people go to and enjoy.”
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