What is Pomona looking for?

[Anonymous]

Our youngest daughter wants to go to Pomona, but the acceptance rate for females was apparently 5% this year. What are they looking for among admitted students? She has a 1480 SAT and a perfect GPA with the most rigorous courseload possible (no rank). How should she tailor her app?

She has legacy through me to Princeton so she's applying SCEA there just to see. She will do ED2 if Princeton doesn't work out; RD if it does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our youngest daughter wants to go to Pomona, but the acceptance rate for females was apparently 5% this year. What are they looking for among admitted students? She has a 1480 SAT and a perfect GPA with the most rigorous courseload possible (no rank). How should she tailor her app?

She has legacy through me to Princeton so she's applying SCEA there just to see. She will do ED2 if Princeton doesn't work out; RD if it does.

There has to be more than high stats: "She has a 1480 SAT and a perfect GPA with the most rigorous courseload possible (no rank)." This state alone is a sign of a book worm. As in Princeton, you have to show she's more than a book warm. There are tons of students with high stats. Princeton and Pomona (and UCLA, UCBerkely) routinely reject one-dimensional students.

[Anonymous]

Knee-jerk liberals who have lots of money.

[Anonymous]

Just put down you are black. Race is self reported. No one can deny your self expression. She will get in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just put down you are black. Race is self reported. No one can deny your self expression. She will get in

I know you are being sarcastic, but it's true. My D's HS had a white girl who openly stated she's putting down as American Indian. She got into 5 ivies plus MIT. Official name for this is, Pocahontas effect. https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/07/living/feat-mindy-kaling-brother-affirmative-action/index.html

[Anonymous]

Pomona has a very small class, and they want to make it as diverse as humanly possibly. Get all states represented, a significant number of foreign students, a significant URM representation, significant first gen representation. Lots of different talents, extracurriculars, and enough varsity athletes to fill out their teams. They are 12% international, and almost 30% AA or Hispanic. 32% White. Over 20% first gen. The 75% SAT was 1510.

https://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/pomona-college-admissions-profile.pdf

So here is who you don’t want to be: a white or Asian female from the DMV with SAT scores below the 1510– unless you are first Gen.

If about 1/3 of the class is white, that’s maybe 130 kids. 65 admittees will be white women. Some number of these will be first Gen. Some will be athletes. What’s left is 40-50 spots for white women based on merit. They may take 1 or 2 from the DMV.

Go into it with your eyes open. Apply ahead for the best shot. But white and Asian high performers from the DMV have a statistically better shot at an Ivy or Stanford than Pomona. For these kids it’s a lottery school. And honestly, the SAT score will hurt her.

And I am saying this with zero snark. I have a white male in the DMV, I would love to sent to Pomona. Very high performer at TJ with mid 1500 SATs. And he knows getting in is unlikely.

Has she considered one of the other Claremont Colleges? Pitzer or Scripps (all women) or even CMcKenna might give her a better shot. Same campus. Same facilities, can still take classes at Pomona. I know DS is looking at CMKenna or Pitzer as plan B (probably Pitzer given his area of interest).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Knee-jerk liberals who have lots of money.

How is that different from virtually any other elite school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pomona has a very small class, and they want to make it as diverse as humanly possibly. Get all states represented, a significant number of foreign students, a significant URM representation, significant first gen representation. Lots of different talents, extracurriculars, and enough varsity athletes to fill out their teams. They are 12% international, and almost 30% AA or Hispanic. 32% White. Over 20% first gen. The 75% SAT was 1510.

https://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/pomona-college-admissions-profile.pdf

So here is who you don’t want to be: a white or Asian female from the DMV with SAT scores below the 1510– unless you are first Gen.

If about 1/3 of the class is white, that’s maybe 130 kids. 65 admittees will be white women. Some number of these will be first Gen. Some will be athletes. What’s left is 40-50 spots for white women based on merit. They may take 1 or 2 from the DMV.

Go into it with your eyes open. Apply ahead for the best shot. But white and Asian high performers from the DMV have a statistically better shot at an Ivy or Stanford than Pomona. For these kids it’s a lottery school. And honestly, the SAT score will hurt her.

And I am saying this with zero snark. I have a white male in the DMV, I would love to sent to Pomona. Very high performer at TJ with mid 1500 SATs. And he knows getting in is unlikely.

Has she considered one of the other Claremont Colleges? Pitzer or Scripps (all women) or even CMcKenna might give her a better shot. Same campus. Same facilities, can still take classes at Pomona. I know DS is looking at CMKenna or Pitzer as plan B (probably Pitzer given his area of interest).

CMkenna and Pitzer are very different schools. CMkenna is on the conservative side while Pitzer is to the left. Pitzer was built in 1963, i.e., counter-culture. Just as your son wouldn't apply to Scripps, if his aspiration is to go into the government (as an example), CMkenna would be better than Pitzer.

[Anonymous]

ok putting down black might be pushing it, but you can get away with hispanic. there are hispanics who come in all different phenotypes. and many 2nd/3rd generation hispanics can't speak spanish that well so it doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ok putting down black might be pushing it, but you can get away with hispanic. there are hispanics who come in all different phenotypes. and many 2nd/3rd generation hispanics can't speak spanish that well so it doesn't matter.

I remember from anthropology that Africa is the origin continent of human species. That makes all of us "African-Americans."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok putting down black might be pushing it, but you can get away with hispanic. there are hispanics who come in all different phenotypes. and many 2nd/3rd generation hispanics can't speak spanish that well so it doesn't matter.

I remember from anthropology that Africa is the origin continent of human species. That makes all of us "African-Americans."

Now, now...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pomona has a very small class, and they want to make it as diverse as humanly possibly. Get all states represented, a significant number of foreign students, a significant URM representation, significant first gen representation. Lots of different talents, extracurriculars, and enough varsity athletes to fill out their teams. They are 12% international, and almost 30% AA or Hispanic. 32% White. Over 20% first gen. The 75% SAT was 1510.

https://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/pomona-college-admissions-profile.pdf

So here is who you don’t want to be: a white or Asian female from the DMV with SAT scores below the 1510– unless you are first Gen.

If about 1/3 of the class is white, that’s maybe 130 kids. 65 admittees will be white women. Some number of these will be first Gen. Some will be athletes. What’s left is 40-50 spots for white women based on merit. They may take 1 or 2 from the DMV.

Go into it with your eyes open. Apply ahead for the best shot. But white and Asian high performers from the DMV have a statistically better shot at an Ivy or Stanford than Pomona. For these kids it’s a lottery school. And honestly, the SAT score will hurt her.

And I am saying this with zero snark. I have a white male in the DMV, I would love to sent to Pomona. Very high performer at TJ with mid 1500 SATs. And he knows getting in is unlikely.

Has she considered one of the other Claremont Colleges? Pitzer or Scripps (all women) or even CMcKenna might give her a better shot. Same campus. Same facilities, can still take classes at Pomona. I know DS is looking at CMKenna or Pitzer as plan B (probably Pitzer given his area of interest).

Um, each school in the cobsortium has a, um, uh, different campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok putting down black might be pushing it, but you can get away with hispanic. there are hispanics who come in all different phenotypes. and many 2nd/3rd generation hispanics can't speak spanish that well so it doesn't matter.

I remember from anthropology that Africa is the origin continent of human species. That makes all of us "African-Americans."

Thanks for the chuckle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok putting down black might be pushing it, but you can get away with hispanic. there are hispanics who come in all different phenotypes. and many 2nd/3rd generation hispanics can't speak spanish that well so it doesn't matter.

I remember from anthropology that Africa is the origin continent of human species. That makes all of us "African-Americans."

true true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pomona has a very small class, and they want to make it as diverse as humanly possibly. Get all states represented, a significant number of foreign students, a significant URM representation, significant first gen representation. Lots of different talents, extracurriculars, and enough varsity athletes to fill out their teams. They are 12% international, and almost 30% AA or Hispanic. 32% White. Over 20% first gen. The 75% SAT was 1510.

https://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/pomona-college-admissions-profile.pdf

So here is who you don’t want to be: a white or Asian female from the DMV with SAT scores below the 1510– unless you are first Gen.

If about 1/3 of the class is white, that’s maybe 130 kids. 65 admittees will be white women. Some number of these will be first Gen. Some will be athletes. What’s left is 40-50 spots for white women based on merit. They may take 1 or 2 from the DMV.

Go into it with your eyes open. Apply ahead for the best shot. But white and Asian high performers from the DMV have a statistically better shot at an Ivy or Stanford than Pomona. For these kids it’s a lottery school. And honestly, the SAT score will hurt her.

And I am saying this with zero snark. I have a white male in the DMV, I would love to sent to Pomona. Very high performer at TJ with mid 1500 SATs. And he knows getting in is unlikely.

Has she considered one of the other Claremont Colleges? Pitzer or Scripps (all women) or even CMcKenna might give her a better shot. Same campus. Same facilities, can still take classes at Pomona. I know DS is looking at CMKenna or Pitzer as plan B (probably Pitzer given his area of interest).

Um, each school in the cobsortium has a, um, uh, different campus.

I've been to the campus (as a visitor.) One large campus with 5 colleges and 2 grad schools. It's one single campus, allowing students to cross-register. Each college has it's own dining service. Students can take meal at any of the 7 dining halls.