In terms of academic emphasis, Pomona is much heavier STEM than both Williams and Amherst. Its best departments are Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, and Neuroscience. Of the computing research association outstanding undergraduate research award, Pomona was the only liberal arts college represented for the 8 scholars chosen. There’s currently a math professor who is the next President of the Mathematical Association of America. This is not to say Williams or Amherst aren’t also exemplary at stem (they are!) but at Pomona, you’re gonna see a lot more Alice Schafer Prize scholars walking around (there’s been 3 in the past 5 years) compared to Beinecke Scholars.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son expected to love Williams. But the crowd at Bowdoin was so much more engaging and they all seemed to be enjoying life there. The difference was a very pleasant surprise. He will apply ED in September.

Our take on Williams was that they not only took the work seriously (a good thing), they took themselves rather seriously as well (less so).

Make sure he is careful about confirming the fit of his prospective academic program prior to applying ED. At Bowdoin bearings last spring we were surprised to find some academic departments lacking (math in particular - they didn’t even have a table at the academic fair). If you check out the school paper, a lot of funds are being diverted to finance and CS majors and away from other programs.

Fiction

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son expected to love Williams. But the crowd at Bowdoin was so much more engaging and they all seemed to be enjoying life there. The difference was a very pleasant surprise. He will apply ED in September.

Our take on Williams was that they not only took the work seriously (a good thing), they took themselves rather seriously as well (less so).

Make sure he is careful about confirming the fit of his prospective academic program prior to applying ED. At Bowdoin bearings last spring we were surprised to find some academic departments lacking (math in particular - they didn’t even have a table at the academic fair). If you check out the school paper, a lot of funds are being diverted to finance and CS majors and away from other programs.

I'm not a mathematician, so perhaps there is some glaring hole in the offerings, but the math department at Bowdoin looks pretty robust to me. The lack of a table, while a shame, could reflect that the faculty were busy teaching classes, meeting with students, etc.
https://www.bowdoin.edu/math/courses/index.html

This post includes brief comments on Williams and Amherst:

What makes an LAC "good" https://share.google/dh7K1iP1kxPsFPQUy

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son expected to love Williams. But the crowd at Bowdoin was so much more engaging and they all seemed to be enjoying life there. The difference was a very pleasant surprise. He will apply ED in September.

Our take on Williams was that they not only took the work seriously (a good thing), they took themselves rather seriously as well (less so).

Make sure he is careful about confirming the fit of his prospective academic program prior to applying ED. At Bowdoin bearings last spring we were surprised to find some academic departments lacking (math in particular - they didn’t even have a table at the academic fair). If you check out the school paper, a lot of funds are being diverted to finance and CS majors and away from other programs.

They are diverting funds to finance and CS but the math department is lacking? That seems contradictory.

Fiction

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son expected to love Williams. But the crowd at Bowdoin was so much more engaging and they all seemed to be enjoying life there. The difference was a very pleasant surprise. He will apply ED in September.

Our take on Williams was that they not only took the work seriously (a good thing), they took themselves rather seriously as well (less so).

Make sure he is careful about confirming the fit of his prospective academic program prior to applying ED. At Bowdoin bearings last spring we were surprised to find some academic departments lacking (math in particular - they didn’t even have a table at the academic fair). If you check out the school paper, a lot of funds are being diverted to finance and CS majors and away from other programs.

They are diverting funds to finance and CS but the math department is lacking? That seems contradictory.

Welp, both are true.

Pomona has the most racially diversified student body, the least athlete/non-athlete divide, and the best weather if you don't hate sunshine. It feels like a mid-size university, and the campus is gorgeous across the 5C. Too bad my DC didn't make it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son expected to love Williams. But the crowd at Bowdoin was so much more engaging and they all seemed to be enjoying life there. The difference was a very pleasant surprise. He will apply ED in September.

Our take on Williams was that they not only took the work seriously (a good thing), they took themselves rather seriously as well (less so).

Make sure he is careful about confirming the fit of his prospective academic program prior to applying ED. At Bowdoin bearings last spring we were surprised to find some academic departments lacking (math in particular - they didn’t even have a table at the academic fair). If you check out the school paper, a lot of funds are being diverted to finance and CS majors and away from other programs.

They are diverting funds to finance and CS but the math department is lacking? That seems contradictory.

Anonymous wrote:My son expected to love Williams. But the crowd at Bowdoin was so much more engaging and they all seemed to be enjoying life there. The difference was a very pleasant surprise. He will apply ED in September.

Our take on Williams was that they not only took the work seriously (a good thing), they took themselves rather seriously as well (less so).

Make sure he is careful about confirming the fit of his prospective academic program prior to applying ED. At Bowdoin bearings last spring we were surprised to find some academic departments lacking (math in particular - they didn’t even have a table at the academic fair). If you check out the school paper, a lot of funds are being diverted to finance and CS majors and away from other programs.

My son expected to love Williams. But the crowd at Bowdoin was so much more engaging and they all seemed to be enjoying life there. The difference was a very pleasant surprise. He will apply ED in September.

Our take on Williams was that they not only took the work seriously (a good thing), they took themselves rather seriously as well (less so).

All three schools are fantastic and, IMO, indistinguishable in terms of the general quality of academics, resources, students, and faculty.

I think W and A are slightly more preprofessional and S and P are slightly more intellectual/academic. Emphasis on "slightly." W is the most isolated and immediately connected to nature. S and P are 45 minutes away from major cities. P is a little different than both because of the 5C consortium, which offers a broader social and academic network if that's what a student wants. Personally, I think S's reputation for intensity and rigor is a little overblown on the internet, which tends to amplify and exaggerate. Most Swatties seem to enjoy their experience; most of the criticism seems to come from people who have no affiliation with it.

My kid is at P. I'd describe the vibe as social, nerdy, liberal, intellectual, and humble. P is definitely not a party school, but students seem to do a lot of socializing and have CMC and Mudd for more traditional college parties. My kid has a huge workload as well as about 12 hours/week of work study but seems to spend a fair number of weekends exploring LA, hiking, skiing, or doing road trips with classmates (including other 5C students) around the region.

Anonymous wrote:I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.

Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.

It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes

Can you elaborate on the vibe difference? Like what kinds of kids tend to prefer Williams over Amherst?

Williams is intense and feels the most snobbish, remote location fine for some students but not for others. Particular strengths in math, econ, art history, poly sci. Amherst has plenty of focused, hard-working students but overall feels more chill and friendly than Williams and Swarthmore. Also pretty quiet party scene, though students looking for that tend to head to UMass. Lots of STEM majors right now, which seems to be a strength, as is pre-law. Econ as well, but maybe not quite at the same level as Williams. Pomona is similar to Amherst, but feels the most laid-back of the four. There was an issue with comp sci being oversubscribed a few years ago, but I assume that's evened out now. The consortium is terrific. Fabulous choice for kids who want to be in Cali.

In terms of the quality of the education, these schools are far more similar than different. The vibes are not the same and some of the strengths are not the same, but overall the differences are pretty minor.

I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.

Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.

It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes

campus culture, types of kids who will be happiest?

Already know Swarthmore is more intense and best fit for a more serious, quiet kid.