Amherst or Pomona?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't quite understand the point the person arguing against Claremont being in metro LA is trying to make.

Obviously it's not IN LA proper, but Claremont is literally in Los Angeles county. As such, it is NOT considered part of the Inland Empire (if you want to get technical).

The Los Angeles Times, FWIW, considers the Inland Empire to encompass Riverside and San Bernandino counties....

However, more important than the LA Times, the federal agency that defines national "MSAs" (metropolitan statistical areas) does NOT include Claremont in the Riverside-San Bernandino-Ontario MSA (which most people use to define the Inland Empire), but instead in the Los Angeles MSA.

(as an aside, Amherst is NOT in the Boston MSA )

NP here.

I'm very familiar with the Claremont area.

The colleges are in LA County, but basically on the border with San Bernadino.

The scenery and nightlife are probably closer to what people think of as San Bernardino than what people think of as LA (beaches, downtown, Hollywood, etc).

That said, the Claremont Colleges are fantastic and unique. If a kid is ok with year round warm weather (some aren't!), they should consider visiting or applying if they have the academic record.

Nightlife? There’s not much. It’s a quaint village—almost like someone dropped some New England town in southern CA. Nice botanical garden. Close enough to Big Bear and Mt. Baldy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The scenery and nightlife are probably closer to what people think of as San Bernardino than what people think of as LA (beaches, downtown, Hollywood, etc).

I don't understand the point of these sweeping generalizations. Most people in LA County don't live near the beaches, Hollywood, or Downtown. The county overall is extremely complex and diverse in landscape. San Bernardino County is similarly difficult to characterize as it hosts some of the wealthiest communities in SoCal as well as some of the poorest and underserved.

Claremont is simply its own place as a town dominated by colleges. I can't think of any other place nearby with that same emphasis.

You forgot the "etc."

The point isn't just that Claremont is closer to San Bernardino County than to the beaches, downtown, or Hollywood. It's closer to San Bernardino County than to any of the other LA County areas most people from out of town have heard of. When you map the edge of Pomona College to the edge of San Bernardino County on Google Maps, it's like 500 feet. I for one feel it's a bit misleading to tell people the colleges are in LA County without making clear it's really on the border, further from anything else in LA County they may be familiar with than to the start of San Bernardino County.

I like the Claremont Colleges. I personally would not want to live in Claremont itself again-- I already did. I found it hotter and to have worse air quality than most other parts of LA that I have lived in, though that's mostly an issue in the summer, not during the academic year. The online almanac I'm looking at the moment says 61 unhealthy days in 2021 for San Bernardino, 26 for Los Angeles. If you've lived in Claremont, you know the air quality there is far more accurately described by the San Bernardino figure. Here's the link:

http://www.laalmanac.com/environment/ev01a.php

Why do you keep posting as if families won't go see this for themselves? If they are truly interested in something more like Pepperdine or USC or UCLA - they will go to LA and see all of those schools PLUS take a trip to Claremont if they are interested in the 5 C's...(or not if they aren't). Students/families will make their own decisions on what it is they are looking for. You act like you are sparing people from some grand misconception or some horrible fate - as if the Claremont Colleges (and the rest of DCUM) have a campaign of deception and are trying to "trick" people about Claremont. These schools are far too popular for there to be such a disconnect between reality of Claremont's location. I know you don't understand, but there ARE students who LOVE the location of Claremont and LOVE these schools....whose primary intention isn't to go to the California coast.

I for one appreciate knowing what I can about a place before deciding whether to plan a trip, especially if it's to the opposite coast and high school is in session.

[Anonymous]

Would you rather ski or surf?

[Anonymous]

East Coast life or West coast life?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather ski or surf?

Can do both at Pomona, it's even one of their traditions "ski beach day"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The scenery and nightlife are probably closer to what people think of as San Bernardino than what people think of as LA (beaches, downtown, Hollywood, etc).

I don't understand the point of these sweeping generalizations. Most people in LA County don't live near the beaches, Hollywood, or Downtown. The county overall is extremely complex and diverse in landscape. San Bernardino County is similarly difficult to characterize as it hosts some of the wealthiest communities in SoCal as well as some of the poorest and underserved.

Claremont is simply its own place as a town dominated by colleges. I can't think of any other place nearby with that same emphasis.

You forgot the "etc."

The point isn't just that Claremont is closer to San Bernardino County than to the beaches, downtown, or Hollywood. It's closer to San Bernardino County than to any of the other LA County areas most people from out of town have heard of. When you map the edge of Pomona College to the edge of San Bernardino County on Google Maps, it's like 500 feet. I for one feel it's a bit misleading to tell people the colleges are in LA County without making clear it's really on the border, further from anything else in LA County they may be familiar with than to the start of San Bernardino County.

I like the Claremont Colleges. I personally would not want to live in Claremont itself again-- I already did. I found it hotter and to have worse air quality than most other parts of LA that I have lived in, though that's mostly an issue in the summer, not during the academic year. The online almanac I'm looking at the moment says 61 unhealthy days in 2021 for San Bernardino, 26 for Los Angeles. If you've lived in Claremont, you know the air quality there is far more accurately described by the San Bernardino figure. Here's the link:

http://www.laalmanac.com/environment/ev01a.php

Why do you keep posting as if families won't go see this for themselves? If they are truly interested in something more like Pepperdine or USC or UCLA - they will go to LA and see all of those schools PLUS take a trip to Claremont if they are interested in the 5 C's...(or not if they aren't). Students/families will make their own decisions on what it is they are looking for. You act like you are sparing people from some grand misconception or some horrible fate - as if the Claremont Colleges (and the rest of DCUM) have a campaign of deception and are trying to "trick" people about Claremont. These schools are far too popular for there to be such a disconnect between reality of Claremont's location. I know you don't understand, but there ARE students who LOVE the location of Claremont and LOVE these schools....whose primary intention isn't to go to the California coast.

I for one appreciate knowing what I can about a place before deciding whether to plan a trip, especially if it's to the opposite coast and high school is in session.

Well - you should take with a huge grain of salt what these Claremont naysayers are throwing out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP and let's try a different tact.

Amherst was the first school to shut down for Covid. At an admissions tour during last spring (spring 2022) the admissions officer proudly said that they led Harvard in the shutdown.

Before our admissions tour we walked from a parking lot to a tent, and had to sign that we were vaxxed (and I think we also did that upon booking the tour). I was fine with that. They issued me a KN-95 because I had a lesser mask. Fine.

We walked up the hill to the main quad area, and there was a huge tent. I wasn't thrilled bc the weather was lousy, but okay. Then, the chairs were socially distanced. I was thinking, wow, we are all vaxxed and OUTSIDE in KN-95s, in socially distant chairs, in 2022 this is pretty intense.

The first part of the admissions tour was about how they are the most (agressive in) keeping their students safe. At this point I realized we were not going to get to go inside any buildings. I wasn't thrilled about that--we'd driven a long way and (total tangent but ironically for this thread, we came from Los Angeles).

Then a parent asked where the bathrooms were and they were directed to porta-potties, I was suddenly completely furious and I hid it from my kid. Could not wait to get out of there. I felt that at this point, Amherst's ego and identity/culture on the issue of covid safety was overriding the science.

I believe that due to this, the chances that Amherst will shut down in the future for the slightest covid resurgence is high. That is great news to some people and not great for other people, so all I'm saying is to factor in your own family's covid tolerance when looking at Amherst; because it is really a standard deviation or two away from the norm.

Anyways, my DC ended up not liking it for other reasons: that they were so free-flowing about no required classes and "some kids even triple-major...we don't recommend it, but we'll let them, because we don't like to say no to our kids." DC said this was the wrong school as she needed structure.

So I don't know how Pomona compares on those two fronts, but wanted to mention what I did learn about Amherst.

Thanks for this-as a physician parent I am appalled. I think it’s great to know how these colleges are managing Covid in the modern day. Will be telling for the next variant that comes along, or the next contagion..

I don’t know specifically how handled at Pomona, but the California schools generally have been very strict with Covid. The uc schools were fully remote for a year and were still requiring masks when inside this summer (as did the two California private schools we visited this summer).

The recent Pomona grad I know had virtual classes for a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather ski or surf?

Can do both at Pomona, it's even one of their traditions "ski beach day"

Also have mountains and beach in MA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harder admit for non-athletes.

No it’s way harder to be a stud athlete and a dynamic student

[Anonymous]

Is Claremont air quality that bad? I'm using a site called "Best Places" and it rates Claremont 58/100. The US average is 55 and the average for LA county is 38. It's one of the most tree covered cities in the area so I'm guessing that buffers it a bit.

Also, not a huge difference in temperatures between USC, Occidental, Caltech, and Pomona College today. 75/64 USC, 80/62 Occidental, 80/63 Caltech, 80/61 Pomona.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather ski or surf?

Can do both at Pomona, it's even one of their traditions "ski beach day"

But maybe some people prefer skiing on ice and surfing in flat water, in which case no need to go west.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Claremont air quality that bad? I'm using a site called "Best Places" and it rates Claremont 58/100. The US average is 55 and the average for LA county is 38. It's one of the most tree covered cities in the area so I'm guessing that buffers it a bit.

Also, not a huge difference in temperatures between USC, Occidental, Caltech, and Pomona College today. 75/64 USC, 80/62 Occidental, 80/63 Caltech, 80/61 Pomona.

It gets a lot hotter as one moves away from west side LA. Even the Valley, which is literally just a mile or two over the mountains, is much hotter. Cal tech is also further inland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather ski or surf?

Can do both at Pomona, it's even one of their traditions "ski beach day"

But maybe some people prefer skiing on ice and surfing in flat water, in which case no need to go west.

The Atlantic Ocean isn’t flat and it also is much warmer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather ski or surf?

Can do both at Pomona, it's even one of their traditions "ski beach day"

Also have mountains and beach in MA.

LOL. I went to college in MA and lived there afterwards for the early part of my career. I used to laugh when my New England friends would say they never considered trying other locations (for college or jobs) because they already had everything "beach and mountains".. In my view, the beach part is true only from the perspective of seeing a coastline. I never found a beach (even in the summer) where the water wasn't way too cold for my tastes.

I doubt anyone is going to either of these schools for the beach, anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Claremont air quality that bad? I'm using a site called "Best Places" and it rates Claremont 58/100. The US average is 55 and the average for LA county is 38. It's one of the most tree covered cities in the area so I'm guessing that buffers it a bit.

Also, not a huge difference in temperatures between USC, Occidental, Caltech, and Pomona College today. 75/64 USC, 80/62 Occidental, 80/63 Caltech, 80/61 Pomona.

The air quality is not that bad, although I expect if you are there in the summer (including perhaps the first couple weeks of school) you will see a number of code red days for ozone.