Pomona Vs Williams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a SoCal native from within 20 miles of Pomona. I am also a parent of student admitted to Williams (didn't apply to Pomona) who almost went but in the end picked a different option. Both are great schools but quiet different locations.
Pomona is definitely not in the prettiest area of Ca (smog is an issue and it's industrial and not very green). The town of Claremont is cute and is definitely larger than Williamstown, which is charming but tiny. I would recommend visiting both. In the end most of a student's time is spent on campus or in the town the college is in- I wouldn't pick either school on the basis of access to LA/Boston, realistically that is not going to be a weekly or even monthly event for most students.

DD has only experience smog twice in 3 years from wildfires. Sounds like you haven’t been to la in years.

Oh yes I have, Mom and Brother still in the area. It is much improved over what it once was but it is still an issue, it is a big basin that has always trapped smoke/fog to the point that there are days when you can't even see the mountains . . . .

I’m just speaking from DD’s experience that smog is the least of her concernsz

I’ll also report she goes to Pasadena almost every weekend to see a boyfriend at Caltech and LA isn’t that far. Maybe if you’re used to Boston commutes it may be difficult, but she hasn’t found it too far.

NP I'd agree Pasedena isn't that far. I mean, it's 45 minutes to an hour I guess. And I'm not sure what is says about Pomona is you're leaving every weekend. But Paseenda means skirting the worst traffic.

This would all be like going to Bowdoin and going into Portland every weekend. That's an easier trip. Anyway, it's not usual

[Anonymous]

Pomona is a very pretty campus in the shadow of the San Gabriel mountains. Agree that wildfires and heat can be an issue but air quality isn’t generally bad.

For kids with a car it’s not unusual to into LA on a weekend but even as a first year (without a car) most kids probably go 1-2x/semester. Some classes do field work in LA as well.

I wouldn’t pick the college thinking it’s easy to get to the beach but certainly it’s a lot more convenient than Boston is to the Berkshires.

[Anonymous]

Good news for both campuses!
Williams recently has announced that a student this year won the Apker Award! https://www.aps.org/funding-recognition/winners?t=LeRoy%20Apker%20Award&af=false
Pomona also announced that a senior won the Alice T. Schafer Prize for Excellence in Mathematics- an undergraduate award for women in mathematics. She is the 3rd Pomona student in the past 5 years to receive the award! https://www.pomona.edu/news/2025/11/24-chloe-marple-26-wins-top-national-mathematics-prize

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a SoCal native from within 20 miles of Pomona. I am also a parent of student admitted to Williams (didn't apply to Pomona) who almost went but in the end picked a different option. Both are great schools but quiet different locations.
Pomona is definitely not in the prettiest area of Ca (smog is an issue and it's industrial and not very green). The town of Claremont is cute and is definitely larger than Williamstown, which is charming but tiny. I would recommend visiting both. In the end most of a student's time is spent on campus or in the town the college is in- I wouldn't pick either school on the basis of access to LA/Boston, realistically that is not going to be a weekly or even monthly event for most students.

DD has only experience smog twice in 3 years from wildfires. Sounds like you haven’t been to la in years.

Oh yes I have, Mom and Brother still in the area. It is much improved over what it once was but it is still an issue, it is a big basin that has always trapped smoke/fog to the point that there are days when you can't even see the mountains . . . .

I’m just speaking from DD’s experience that smog is the least of her concernsz

I’ll also report she goes to Pasadena almost every weekend to see a boyfriend at Caltech and LA isn’t that far. Maybe if you’re used to Boston commutes it may be difficult, but she hasn’t found it too far.

NP I'd agree Pasedena isn't that far. I mean, it's 45 minutes to an hour I guess. And I'm not sure what is says about Pomona is you're leaving every weekend. But Paseenda means skirting the worst traffic.

This would all be like going to Bowdoin and going into Portland every weekend. That's an easier trip. Anyway, it's not usual

HAHAHA. And I am a So. Californian. Claremont to Pasadena !!!! OMG what a nightmare traffic jam! And at least I can spell Pasadena correctly. You couldn't pay me to make that drive.