Is this a question? If I could go back out west and experience the nature there, I would in a heartbeat. SoCal is so geographically diverse it’s borderline unfair. Pennsylvania? I guess if the rolling hills of Pittsburgh count as backpacking, it’s competitive.

I would much rather explore the outdoors near Pomona...you can experience desert, mountains, beach all within 50 miles, and the climate is perfect.

For some reason Swarthmore’s Insta shows up in my feed and some of the activities seem quirky. It might be worth looking at feeds for both schools if he hasn’t.

The Claremont Colleges are awesome. Way more to offer as a collective than Swarthmore. Go with Pomona if only for the sunshine.

For some reason, people here way overrate New England colleges as outdoorsy, but don't do the same on the west coast, unless a school is in, like, Seattle. LA area is incredibly outdoorsy.

Anonymous wrote:Or Williams? Backpacking and math galore.

DS does not want to be in the middle of nowhere. His brother also attends Williams and doesn't love it.

Anonymous wrote:How much backpacking do you expect to do in Philadelphia and Pasedena?

+1. Also appears to have priority over program of academic interest.

Anonymous wrote:How much backpacking do you expect to do in Philadelphia and Pasedena?

Backpacking in California is very achievable. Pomona pays for students to create their own trips and drive out to any site within California, Oregon, Nevada or Utah they want. There's multiple hikes every week and my DD went on a Cottonwood Lakes backpacking trip this semester. They even have a yearly Grand Canyon backpacking trip for a week during spring break. Pomona is perfectly nestled right next to San Bernardino (Not in Pasadena), which has a massive forest with a ton to do locally.

Or Williams? Backpacking and math galore.

He will need a car and a fair amount of spare time to access backpacking around Swarthmore.

Has he considered Middlebury or Bowdoin or someplace more woodsy/remote?

Honestly, if he doesn’t have a preference I wouldn’t advise him to ED2.

Anonymous wrote:For whatever reason people here wildly overrate Pomona when two decades ago, it was third rate at best.

Not sure why you're hating on Pomona, which is and has been the top-ranked SLAC on the West coast forever. I was choosing between Dartmouth, Columbia and Pomona back in the early 90's.

How much backpacking do you expect to do in Philadelphia and Pasedena?

For whatever reason people here wildly overrate Pomona when two decades ago, it was third rate at best.

DS did not do ED1 but now is considering EDing. He is looking for an LAC with access to backpacking and a strong math program and occasional . He toured both and loved both, struggling to choose which to ED2. Any personal experiences?