Anonymous
03/12/2023 23:04
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
It’s not cold
Anonymous
03/12/2023 23:00
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
The most incredible kid I know goes there.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 22:53
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:I think people from out of state think it’s in the LA area, but if you live in LA it’s pretty far away. I drive past it on my way to the desert (Palm Springs), and it’s surrounded by exurban wasteland.
However Claremont itself is an oasis in a pit!! The campus is gorgeous and the little downtown district is very cute. I can see why it’s popular.
I think that too. East coast kids think "Wow, Los Angeles!" and it's not. Pomona, has, however, done very well riding up the USNWR rankings so it's now hot simply because it's highly selective.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 22:51
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Pomona is at least perceived to be intellectual without the elitism that accompanies some of the New England liberal arts colleges (and the prep schools and boarding schools that feed into them). To the extent that perception reflects reality, part of the reason is that it is not the kind of school you go to if you are concerned about east coast status. It also doesn't have the heavy drinking/party rep of some cold-weather schools where you are inside much of the year or where sports teams are quite as dominant (although it has some good teams). So, it self-selects for a certain type of kid and those kids feel there aren't a lot of other options for them.
The consortium also has benefits that are pretty unique. It literally quadruples or more the course and social offerings of similarly-sized schools, all of which are within walking distance because the schools are all on a single campus meant to replicate the different college houses of a campus like Cambridge. And, if you do have a kid who happens to want more of a drinking/party culture, Claremont-McKenna offers more options nearby.
The campus is also pretty, the weather is generally pleasant (other than midday when it's hot in early fall) and there are lots of activities outdoors, including in the nearby mountain range. I wouldn't recommend going there because you think you will be going to the beach regularly, but if you want to take a day trip, go to a museum or concert, or take advantage of something else unique in LA, that is possible.
💯
Yeah it’s pretty obvious
It’s AWS academics with way better weather and more chill aesthetics
Obviously it’s gonna be super in demand
[/quote
All that - there are very few SLACs with decent weather that don’t have a southern vibe, basically none with weather approaching the weather at Pomona. My DS doesn’t want to go that far away but it otherwise checks all the boxes for someone looking for a SLAC.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 21:17
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
I think people from out of state think it’s in the LA area, but if you live in LA it’s pretty far away. I drive past it on my way to the desert (Palm Springs), and it’s surrounded by exurban wasteland.
However Claremont itself is an oasis in a pit!! The campus is gorgeous and the little downtown district is very cute. I can see why it’s popular.
However Claremont itself is an oasis in a pit!! The campus is gorgeous and the little downtown district is very cute. I can see why it’s popular.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 21:14
Subject: Re:Why is Pomona so special?
Visited with my son recently (a STEM-focused sophomore who currently attends a well-known LA private) and he was turned off by the cocoon-like atmosphere of the school, the extent to which the "experience" is curated. Perhaps it is the same at all SLACs; perhaps that's why people like them. Still, not for everyone. And definitely not for a kid who grew up in LA and is a little independent.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 21:01
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:Pomona is at least perceived to be intellectual without the elitism that accompanies some of the New England liberal arts colleges (and the prep schools and boarding schools that feed into them). To the extent that perception reflects reality, part of the reason is that it is not the kind of school you go to if you are concerned about east coast status. It also doesn't have the heavy drinking/party rep of some cold-weather schools where you are inside much of the year or where sports teams are quite as dominant (although it has some good teams). So, it self-selects for a certain type of kid and those kids feel there aren't a lot of other options for them.
The consortium also has benefits that are pretty unique. It literally quadruples or more the course and social offerings of similarly-sized schools, all of which are within walking distance because the schools are all on a single campus meant to replicate the different college houses of a campus like Cambridge. And, if you do have a kid who happens to want more of a drinking/party culture, Claremont-McKenna offers more options nearby.
The campus is also pretty, the weather is generally pleasant (other than midday when it's hot in early fall) and there are lots of activities outdoors, including in the nearby mountain range. I wouldn't recommend going there because you think you will be going to the beach regularly, but if you want to take a day trip, go to a museum or concert, or take advantage of something else unique in LA, that is possible.
💯
Yeah it’s pretty obvious
It’s AWS academics with way better weather and more chill aesthetics
Obviously it’s gonna be super in demand
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:57
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The factors that make it #1 on this ranking that includes both LACs and universities explain at least part of it.
https://lesshighschoolstress.com/blog/6/
That is a very odd list.
I thought it was an interesting set of criteria, and one that I think my kid would also value in a school (small class sizes yet also a wide variety of available courses; diversity among both professors and the student body; well-educated professors; general student satisfaction). It's at least as valid as the factors that US News values heavily.
The author actually comments on how odd the list will look after years of getting used to one set of criteria being used. I agree it's interesting to see how things shake out looking at things through a different lens.
It’s odd because Scripps is not the third best college in the US in any conceivable sense.
That is indeed strange. My niece went there. I wouldn't consider it. It's pretty but not an academic powerhouse
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:48
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The factors that make it #1 on this ranking that includes both LACs and universities explain at least part of it.
https://lesshighschoolstress.com/blog/6/
That is a very odd list.
I thought it was an interesting set of criteria, and one that I think my kid would also value in a school (small class sizes yet also a wide variety of available courses; diversity among both professors and the student body; well-educated professors; general student satisfaction). It's at least as valid as the factors that US News values heavily.
The author actually comments on how odd the list will look after years of getting used to one set of criteria being used. I agree it's interesting to see how things shake out looking at things through a different lens.
It’s odd because Scripps is not the third best college in the US in any conceivable sense.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:39
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The factors that make it #1 on this ranking that includes both LACs and universities explain at least part of it.
https://lesshighschoolstress.com/blog/6/
That is a very odd list.
I thought it was an interesting set of criteria, and one that I think my kid would also value in a school (small class sizes yet also a wide variety of available courses; diversity among both professors and the student body; well-educated professors; general student satisfaction). It's at least as valid as the factors that US News values heavily.
The author actually comments on how odd the list will look after years of getting used to one set of criteria being used. I agree it's interesting to see how things shake out looking at things through a different lens.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:38
Subject: Re:Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:You don't get to decide why anyone picks a school.Way too much emphasis (as always nowadays) on diversity, especially when all these schools are committed to diversity. Anyone who chooses a school based on diversity stats is a true imbecile
But I get to have an opinion on a silly list.
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:34
Subject: Re:Why is Pomona so special?
You don't get to decide why anyone picks a school.Way too much emphasis (as always nowadays) on diversity, especially when all these schools are committed to diversity. Anyone who chooses a school based on diversity stats is a true imbecile
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:30
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The factors that make it #1 on this ranking that includes both LACs and universities explain at least part of it.
https://lesshighschoolstress.com/blog/6/
That is a very odd list.
I thought it was an interesting set of criteria, and one that I think my kid would also value in a school (small class sizes yet also a wide variety of available courses; diversity among both professors and the student body; well-educated professors; general student satisfaction). It's at least as valid as the factors that US News values heavily.
But the results are ridiculous, which suggests the methodology is flawed. Garbage in, garbage out. Way too much emphasis (as always nowadays) on diversity, especially when all these schools are committed to diversity. Anyone who chooses a school based on diversity stats is a true imbecile
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:28
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
I read why is Pokémon so special and I came in armed with Pokémon facts. [steps out of thread].
Anonymous
03/12/2023 20:19
Subject: Why is Pomona so special?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The factors that make it #1 on this ranking that includes both LACs and universities explain at least part of it.
https://lesshighschoolstress.com/blog/6/
That is a very odd list.
I thought it was an interesting set of criteria, and one that I think my kid would also value in a school (small class sizes yet also a wide variety of available courses; diversity among both professors and the student body; well-educated professors; general student satisfaction). It's at least as valid as the factors that US News values heavily.