Why is Pomona so special?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who says it is “so special”?

US News?

OP: it’s extremely hard to get in and very highly ranked, so the question was, what is all the hullabaloo about?

Are you pretending to be dumb? Look at what components go into rankings, and you'll see what makes Pomona at or near the top of all the LAC rankings.

If I have to spell it out: Pomona is doing well because relative to other peer LACs, it excels in these factors and many more:
- Graduation and retention rates
- Selectivity and caliber of the entering students
- Post grad outcomes and earning potential
- Students receiving competitive fellowships and/or getting into top med/law/business schools
- Financial aid generosity
- Diversity
- Financial resources/endowment
- Faculty resources/salaries
- Student satisfaction surveys

Goodness. This thread is embarrassing. All these roundabout conversations that really have nothing to do with anything of consequence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

So you are saying that in addition to your child's initial misconceptions, that you would not have gone out to Pomona to visit and see for yourself what it really is? This is what people are constantly implying is true for everyone. That's fine if that's the case for your child (who seems like they may have never applied? or maybe applied but it wasn't high on their list?). But it is NOT the case for most kids that genuinely choose Pomona. Our child has been to CA enough for family to know exactly what it is - and never had beaches in mind.

DC did visit Pomona as suggested by the college counselor. Thought that the campus was lovely. Also liked Pitzer campus. Was struck by how hot it was on the Claremont campuses and how far it was from the beaches. Try to remember - this is a 17 y.o. visiting CA for the first time, unlike your DC who "[knew] exactly what it is." Clearly a smart one based on college admission, but still 17 with a vision of CA largely shaped by social media. DC also visited Cal and Stanford a week later as suggested by the college counselor.

DC returned to East coast some weeks later and came up with "the list" before the start of senior year. No West coast school on it. DC said that CA felt far and wanted more of a New England setting for college, which makes sense given their outdoor interests.

I'm not sure why you seem so triggered by a 17, now 19, y.o.'s thought processes. Given what I see in my DCs as well as their friends, this seems fairly predictable. One of my DC's didn't apply for what seemed like a great LAC for them because they hated the tour guide. I've read posts in this forum on other juniors/seniors making similar decisions. DC didn't reject Pomona per se, but the idea of being so far from home and in a setting that didn't feel as comfortable as what they were seeking in a college. We live in a huge nation with many regions. It should be no surprise that a kid from one region may be challenged at the prospect of living in one that feels very different than their home setting.

They're still kids.

You are misunderstanding - I'm pushing back on people who say nobody knows where Claremont "really is". But this isn't the case. Just like you, most people will go look. Your child chose not to apply based on preferences. Others will choose to apply based on preferences. The ones with "beach dreams" are likely to be in the former and not the latter. There are a few people who always weigh in on this discussion as if people are cluelessly applying to Pomona with ill conceived impressions of LA, Hollywood, beaches.

Sure, no 17yr old really knows what a school is like until they visit - that's true everywhere. I have no beef with that.

But the fact that yours orginally had a different view, went to find out, and chose not to apply is just providing evidence for what I am saying.

You've come around to this view. Your original comments were to paint a kid as dumb and misinformed, simply because they had never been to California and didn't know it the way your child did. Nowhere did I ever state that teens applying to Pomona are clueless - you were the one who ran with that narrative. I simply provided a snap shot of the views of one 17 y.o. over a long weekend in LA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who says it is “so special”?

US News?

OP: it’s extremely hard to get in and very highly ranked, so the question was, what is all the hullabaloo about?

Are you pretending to be dumb? Look at what components go into rankings, and you'll see what makes Pomona at or near the top of all the LAC rankings.

If I have to spell it out: Pomona is doing well because relative to other peer LACs, it excels in these factors and many more:
- Graduation and retention rates
- Selectivity and caliber of the entering students
- Post grad outcomes and earning potential
- Students receiving competitive fellowships and/or getting into top med/law/business schools
- Financial aid generosity
- Diversity
- Financial resources/endowment
- Faculty resources/salaries
- Student satisfaction surveys

Goodness. This thread is embarrassing. All these roundabout conversations that really have nothing to do with anything of consequence.

So the answer to the question is... US News ranks it highly because of the factors US News takes into account.

I was looking for answers that tended to point more towards the "special sauce" that made kids really want to go there. The fact that it is on the west coast/good weather seems to be the main answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who says it is “so special”?

US News?

OP: it’s extremely hard to get in and very highly ranked, so the question was, what is all the hullabaloo about?

Are you pretending to be dumb? Look at what components go into rankings, and you'll see what makes Pomona at or near the top of all the LAC rankings.

If I have to spell it out: Pomona is doing well because relative to other peer LACs, it excels in these factors and many more:
- Graduation and retention rates
- Selectivity and caliber of the entering students
- Post grad outcomes and earning potential
- Students receiving competitive fellowships and/or getting into top med/law/business schools
- Financial aid generosity
- Diversity
- Financial resources/endowment
- Faculty resources/salaries
- Student satisfaction surveys

Goodness. This thread is embarrassing. All these roundabout conversations that really have nothing to do with anything of consequence.

So the answer to the question is... US News ranks it highly because of the factors US News takes into account.

I was looking for answers that tended to point more towards the "special sauce" that made kids really want to go there. The fact that it is on the west coast/good weather seems to be the main answer.

But that's not the dominating "special" factor. There are other SLACs on the West Coast like Occidental which aren't perceived to be as desirable, even though Oxy arguably has the better campus, weather, and location compared to Pomona. Also, only some of those factors are part of USNews, so I'm not just regurgitating one perspective. Other rankings value other components, and Pomona generally ranks near the top despite the changed methodology.

There isn't a singular reason that Pomona is highly desirable. It's a combination of all of the above things and more (Claremont Consortium, internship and research experiences, just the overall experience at a top SLAC vs. most public/private universities, etc.). I guess if your question was- why Pomona over the top East Coast LACs- then you could place a greater emphasis on location and campus climate since most of them (especially Williams/Amherst/Swat) compare in the above metrics. But your question seemed broader in scope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

So you are saying that in addition to your child's initial misconceptions, that you would not have gone out to Pomona to visit and see for yourself what it really is? This is what people are constantly implying is true for everyone. That's fine if that's the case for your child (who seems like they may have never applied? or maybe applied but it wasn't high on their list?). But it is NOT the case for most kids that genuinely choose Pomona. Our child has been to CA enough for family to know exactly what it is - and never had beaches in mind.

DC did visit Pomona as suggested by the college counselor. Thought that the campus was lovely. Also liked Pitzer campus. Was struck by how hot it was on the Claremont campuses and how far it was from the beaches. Try to remember - this is a 17 y.o. visiting CA for the first time, unlike your DC who "[knew] exactly what it is." Clearly a smart one based on college admission, but still 17 with a vision of CA largely shaped by social media. DC also visited Cal and Stanford a week later as suggested by the college counselor.

DC returned to East coast some weeks later and came up with "the list" before the start of senior year. No West coast school on it. DC said that CA felt far and wanted more of a New England setting for college, which makes sense given their outdoor interests.

I'm not sure why you seem so triggered by a 17, now 19, y.o.'s thought processes. Given what I see in my DCs as well as their friends, this seems fairly predictable. One of my DC's didn't apply for what seemed like a great LAC for them because they hated the tour guide. I've read posts in this forum on other juniors/seniors making similar decisions. DC didn't reject Pomona per se, but the idea of being so far from home and in a setting that didn't feel as comfortable as what they were seeking in a college. We live in a huge nation with many regions. It should be no surprise that a kid from one region may be challenged at the prospect of living in one that feels very different than their home setting.

They're still kids.

You are misunderstanding - I'm pushing back on people who say nobody knows where Claremont "really is". But this isn't the case. Just like you, most people will go look. Your child chose not to apply based on preferences. Others will choose to apply based on preferences. The ones with "beach dreams" are likely to be in the former and not the latter. There are a few people who always weigh in on this discussion as if people are cluelessly applying to Pomona with ill conceived impressions of LA, Hollywood, beaches.

Sure, no 17yr old really knows what a school is like until they visit - that's true everywhere. I have no beef with that.

But the fact that yours orginally had a different view, went to find out, and chose not to apply is just providing evidence for what I am saying.

You've come around to this view. Your original comments were to paint a kid as dumb and misinformed, simply because they had never been to California and didn't know it the way your child did. Nowhere did I ever state that teens applying to Pomona are clueless - you were the one who ran with that narrative. I simply provided a snap shot of the views of one 17 y.o. over a long weekend in LA.

No I didn't meant that at all. I meant that the people making know-it-all negative statements about Pomona are acting as if families of applicants are uninformed and misguided. That is not the case for us (or for you) and I doubt that's the case for most.

Everyone starts from square one with varying knowledge of colleges - but even if a kid starts with "California dreaming" visions, I'm sure they don't jump straight to from "California "apply to Pomona" without having learned more about it.

It's ridiculous that someone keeps coming on here to tell everyone that they have no idea that Pomona isn't near a beach or Hollywood and is not in the "hip" parts of LA county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who says it is “so special”?

US News?

OP: it’s extremely hard to get in and very highly ranked, so the question was, what is all the hullabaloo about?

Are you pretending to be dumb? Look at what components go into rankings, and you'll see what makes Pomona at or near the top of all the LAC rankings.

If I have to spell it out: Pomona is doing well because relative to other peer LACs, it excels in these factors and many more:
- Graduation and retention rates
- Selectivity and caliber of the entering students
- Post grad outcomes and earning potential
- Students receiving competitive fellowships and/or getting into top med/law/business schools
- Financial aid generosity
- Diversity
- Financial resources/endowment
- Faculty resources/salaries
- Student satisfaction surveys

Goodness. This thread is embarrassing. All these roundabout conversations that really have nothing to do with anything of consequence.

So the answer to the question is... US News ranks it highly because of the factors US News takes into account.

I was looking for answers that tended to point more towards the "special sauce" that made kids really want to go there. The fact that it is on the west coast/good weather seems to be the main answer.

But also the academic programs, graduation outcomes, culture of students, the closeness of faculty and students, the great housing options...and on campus for 4 years!, the access to other 5 C's for courses, friends, clubs, sports, shared resources (dining halls, athletic options, library), proximity to mountains, many airport options for flying (LAX still best if want direct flights).

Does this help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

It’s in LA County. Big county. Ocean and mountains. Trees too. Last I checked, Pomona was easily accessible to the outdoors.

Clearly,
you haven't been there. There are trees on campus, but it's in a desert wasteland. There are hills behind it. It's flat. very flat. That's what Claremont/Ontario is. FLAT. And no one from out there would say it's in Los Angeles County. It's on the far east end of Los Angeles county near San Bernardino. Do you have any idea how big Los Angeles County is? And that descriptor isn't a positive anymore.

These are the “hills” PP is talking about, they include a 10,000 foot “hill.” My kid who is at one of the 5Cs spends a lot of time in the Angeles National Forest because it’s right nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

It’s in LA County. Big county. Ocean and mountains. Trees too. Last I checked, Pomona was easily accessible to the outdoors.

Clearly,
you haven't been there. There are trees on campus, but it's in a desert wasteland. There are hills behind it. It's flat. very flat. That's what Claremont/Ontario is. FLAT. And no one from out there would say it's in Los Angeles County. It's on the far east end of Los Angeles county near San Bernardino. Do you have any idea how big Los Angeles County is? And that descriptor isn't a positive anymore.

These are the “hills” PP is talking about, they include a 10,000 foot “hill.” My kid who is at one of the 5Cs spends a lot of time in the Angeles National Forest because it’s right nearby.

Mt. Baldy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

It’s in LA County. Big county. Ocean and mountains. Trees too. Last I checked, Pomona was easily accessible to the outdoors.

Clearly,
you haven't been there. There are trees on campus, but it's in a desert wasteland. There are hills behind it. It's flat. very flat. That's what Claremont/Ontario is. FLAT. And no one from out there would say it's in Los Angeles County. It's on the far east end of Los Angeles county near San Bernardino. Do you have any idea how big Los Angeles County is? And that descriptor isn't a positive anymore.

These are the “hills” PP is talking about, they include a 10,000 foot “hill.” My kid who is at one of the 5Cs spends a lot of time in the Angeles National Forest because it’s right nearby.

LOVE! And I'm willing to bet this photo is taken from farther away than Claremont.

Angeles National Forest is great!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Around 5 miles from campus, according to GoogleMaps. Nice!

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

It’s in LA County. Big county. Ocean and mountains. Trees too. Last I checked, Pomona was easily accessible to the outdoors.

Clearly,
you haven't been there. There are trees on campus, but it's in a desert wasteland. There are hills behind it. It's flat. very flat. That's what Claremont/Ontario is. FLAT. And no one from out there would say it's in Los Angeles County. It's on the far east end of Los Angeles county near San Bernardino. Do you have any idea how big Los Angeles County is? And that descriptor isn't a positive anymore.

These are the “hills” PP is talking about, they include a 10,000 foot “hill.” My kid who is at one of the 5Cs spends a lot of time in the Angeles National Forest because it’s right nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who says it is “so special”?

US News?

OP: it’s extremely hard to get in and very highly ranked, so the question was, what is all the hullabaloo about?

Are you pretending to be dumb? Look at what components go into rankings, and you'll see what makes Pomona at or near the top of all the LAC rankings.

If I have to spell it out: Pomona is doing well because relative to other peer LACs, it excels in these factors and many more:
- Graduation and retention rates
- Selectivity and caliber of the entering students
- Post grad outcomes and earning potential
- Students receiving competitive fellowships and/or getting into top med/law/business schools
- Financial aid generosity
- Diversity
- Financial resources/endowment
- Faculty resources/salaries
- Student satisfaction surveys

Goodness. This thread is embarrassing. All these roundabout conversations that really have nothing to do with anything of consequence.

So the answer to the question is... US News ranks it highly because of the factors US News takes into account.

I was looking for answers that tended to point more towards the "special sauce" that made kids really want to go there. The fact that it is on the west coast/good weather seems to be the main answer.

But also the academic programs, graduation outcomes, culture of students, the closeness of faculty and students, the great housing options...and on campus for 4 years!, the access to other 5 C's for courses, friends, clubs, sports, shared resources (dining halls, athletic options, library), proximity to mountains, many airport options for flying (LAX still best if want direct flights).

Does this help?

I guess it's an all around great school in an attractive (to many) location, without a lot of direct competitors, unlike the New England schools. Warm weather Amherst, basically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

It’s in LA County. Big county. Ocean and mountains. Trees too. Last I checked, Pomona was easily accessible to the outdoors.

Clearly,
you haven't been there. There are trees on campus, but it's in a desert wasteland. There are hills behind it. It's flat. very flat. That's what Claremont/Ontario is. FLAT. And no one from out there would say it's in Los Angeles County. It's on the far east end of Los Angeles county near San Bernardino. Do you have any idea how big Los Angeles County is? And that descriptor isn't a positive anymore.

These are the “hills” PP is talking about, they include a 10,000 foot “hill.” My kid who is at one of the 5Cs spends a lot of time in the Angeles National Forest because it’s right nearby.

LOVE! And I'm willing to bet this photo is taken from farther away than Claremont.

Angeles National Forest is great!!

Yes, taken from farther away. My kid’s apartment at CCA is 1.25 miles from the nearest edge of the forest. Also, CCA is backs up to the California Botanic Garden. It’s a nice place to live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Location isn't that great either. Very far from the beach and downtown LA, very smoggy.

It's one of those cases where "it's great because everyone thinks it's great".

Basically the beaches are at one end of LA county and the school is at the other. DD really liked the campus - as well as Pitzer - but the drive from our hotel in Santa Monica to the Claremont campuses, then back in one hot afternoon was not lost on her.

Yeah, it makes sense that the beaches are in part of LA county that’s … by … the … ocean.

LA is one of the US' largest counties and is roughly 800 square miles larger than a combined Delaware and Rhode Island. Most 17 and 18 year olds don't know that. They hear LA, they think of Hollywood, the beaches, so yeah, they are not imagining driving 50 miles from one end of the county to the other.

Around 5 miles from campus, according to GoogleMaps. Nice!

Why does everyone assume this is why a student wants to go to Pomona OR that students/families who consider Pomona do not know where it is located? Perhaps your view if LA is beaches and Hollywood...but that doesn't mean everyone else's does.

Our child is interested in Pomona and the only way LA is remotely involved is that it makes it close enough to transportation so that getting there from accoss the country is not a nightmare. They have no interest in the beach or Hollywood. They like the idea of nice weather and are far more interested in exploring internal land features of CA via trips while they are there (Joshua Tree/Yosemite/Redwoods/Desert). They like the school because of the small size of the college with access to 7000 kids over multiple schools. They like a place where kids live on campus 4 years as a community.

Please. DC lives on the East coast and had never been to California, but is a creature of social media. So yeah, thoughts of the beach popped when they first heard that Pomona, which was suggested to them by their college counselor, is in LA. That doesn't seem so far-fetched.

DC ultimately decided they wanted a school that was not that far from home as well as easily accessible to the outdoors - right outside their dorm door. They are now at a top NESCAC.

It’s in LA County. Big county. Ocean and mountains. Trees too. Last I checked, Pomona was easily accessible to the outdoors.

Clearly,
you haven't been there. There are trees on campus, but it's in a desert wasteland. There are hills behind it. It's flat. very flat. That's what Claremont/Ontario is. FLAT. And no one from out there would say it's in Los Angeles County. It's on the far east end of Los Angeles county near San Bernardino. Do you have any idea how big Los Angeles County is? And that descriptor isn't a positive anymore.

These are the “hills” PP is talking about, they include a 10,000 foot “hill.” My kid who is at one of the 5Cs spends a lot of time in the Angeles National Forest because it’s right nearby.

Around 5 miles from campus, according to googlemaps. Nice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who says it is “so special”?

US News?

OP: it’s extremely hard to get in and very highly ranked, so the question was, what is all the hullabaloo about?

Are you pretending to be dumb? Look at what components go into rankings, and you'll see what makes Pomona at or near the top of all the LAC rankings.

If I have to spell it out: Pomona is doing well because relative to other peer LACs, it excels in these factors and many more:
- Graduation and retention rates
- Selectivity and caliber of the entering students
- Post grad outcomes and earning potential
- Students receiving competitive fellowships and/or getting into top med/law/business schools
- Financial aid generosity
- Diversity
- Financial resources/endowment
- Faculty resources/salaries
- Student satisfaction surveys

Goodness. This thread is embarrassing. All these roundabout conversations that really have nothing to do with anything of consequence.

PP, are you pretending to be that dumb? The 5Cs have been caught no less than 2 times fudging their numbers. So, there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who says it is “so special”?

US News?

OP: it’s extremely hard to get in and very highly ranked, so the question was, what is all the hullabaloo about?

Are you pretending to be dumb? Look at what components go into rankings, and you'll see what makes Pomona at or near the top of all the LAC rankings.

If I have to spell it out: Pomona is doing well because relative to other peer LACs, it excels in these factors and many more:
- Graduation and retention rates
- Selectivity and caliber of the entering students
- Post grad outcomes and earning potential
- Students receiving competitive fellowships and/or getting into top med/law/business schools
- Financial aid generosity
- Diversity
- Financial resources/endowment
- Faculty resources/salaries
- Student satisfaction surveys

Goodness. This thread is embarrassing. All these roundabout conversations that really have nothing to do with anything of consequence.

So the answer to the question is... US News ranks it highly because of the factors US News takes into account.

I was looking for answers that tended to point more towards the "special sauce" that made kids really want to go there. The fact that it is on the west coast/good weather seems to be the main answer.

But also the academic programs, graduation outcomes, culture of students, the closeness of faculty and students, the great housing options...and on campus for 4 years!, the access to other 5 C's for courses, friends, clubs, sports, shared resources (dining halls, athletic options, library), proximity to mountains, many airport options for flying (LAX still best if want direct flights).

Does this help?

I guess it's an all around great school in an attractive (to many) location, without a lot of direct competitors, unlike the New England schools. Warm weather Amherst, basically.

Yes, but also if the other schools in the Pioneer Valley were all located side by side instead of a bus ride away.