Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

My kid went to Bowdoin so it was a similar scenario. My immigrant relatives actually couldn't believe my bright kid was going to go to this school they had never heard of - until they started asking the other senior partners and coworkers. My kid wanted a small to medium school, with a town, a good campus and strong academics. Bowdoin was all that. There were things that my kid didn't like about their time there but academics were strong and there are lifelong friends. Kid ended up going to an ivy grad school and people recognize that name just fine.

NESCAC undergrad, ivy grad.....it’s what DW and I did and it’s what DC will do as well.

CMC grad, so while I find most Pomona grads insufferable, I can comment on the "everyone who matters knows it" thing vs. other larger schools, which I have absolutely found to be true. People in a position to hire grads are very familiar with these schools and their quality.

Further, I've found that schools or this size create a deeper network you can call on for life... If I reach out to someone who went to CMC (or frankly any of the 5Cs) on linkedin, I have basically a 100% response rate. There's a built in connection there to other folks who briefly lived in Claremont. I assume the same thing happens in other small schools, but what's cool about the claremont colleges is that the alumni network between all of them is pretty huge and diverse.

My husband went to UVA and "oh I went to UVA too" does not create nearly the same personal connections.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

My kid went to Bowdoin so it was a similar scenario. My immigrant relatives actually couldn't believe my bright kid was going to go to this school they had never heard of - until they started asking the other senior partners and coworkers. My kid wanted a small to medium school, with a town, a good campus and strong academics. Bowdoin was all that. There were things that my kid didn't like about their time there but academics were strong and there are lifelong friends. Kid ended up going to an ivy grad school and people recognize that name just fine.

Bowdoin is no Pomona. Not in the same league.

No dog in this fight, but Bowdoin is definitely in the same league.

In what parallel universe?

I have to also ask: what criteria are used to to make that determination. Under the USN criteria, Pomona is #5 and Bowdoin #6.

So unless the primary criteria is "the weather", or referring to NESCAC vs SCIAC, then yes, Bowdoin and Pomona are absolutely, positively in the same league.

Pomona is amazing.
Signed a Scripps alum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

Anyone who matters has heard of Pomona. Believe it or not, for many of us, we don’t care what schools Joe Schmoe has heard of or if the people on the Beltway will be impressed by a Pomona sticker.

I know many people who have never heard of Pomona. They matter, you elitist snob.

Well, sorry, but those people won't matter when it comes to "elitist" practices like applying to top graduate programs or prestigious firms. Don't feel offended about not having been in the know. Now you know, and the fact of the matter is that in our stratified society, awareness and enthusiasm for these highly competitive small liberal arts colleges are markers of class status.

OK, credentialist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

My kid went to Bowdoin so it was a similar scenario. My immigrant relatives actually couldn't believe my bright kid was going to go to this school they had never heard of - until they started asking the other senior partners and coworkers. My kid wanted a small to medium school, with a town, a good campus and strong academics. Bowdoin was all that. There were things that my kid didn't like about their time there but academics were strong and there are lifelong friends. Kid ended up going to an ivy grad school and people recognize that name just fine.

Bowdoin is no Pomona. Not in the same league.

No dog in this fight, but Bowdoin is definitely in the same league.

In what parallel universe?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

My kid went to Bowdoin so it was a similar scenario. My immigrant relatives actually couldn't believe my bright kid was going to go to this school they had never heard of - until they started asking the other senior partners and coworkers. My kid wanted a small to medium school, with a town, a good campus and strong academics. Bowdoin was all that. There were things that my kid didn't like about their time there but academics were strong and there are lifelong friends. Kid ended up going to an ivy grad school and people recognize that name just fine.

As someone else basically said, Pomona is much better than Bowdoin.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

My kid went to Bowdoin so it was a similar scenario. My immigrant relatives actually couldn't believe my bright kid was going to go to this school they had never heard of - until they started asking the other senior partners and coworkers. My kid wanted a small to medium school, with a town, a good campus and strong academics. Bowdoin was all that. There were things that my kid didn't like about their time there but academics were strong and there are lifelong friends. Kid ended up going to an ivy grad school and people recognize that name just fine.

Bowdoin is no Pomona. Not in the same league.

No dog in this fight, but Bowdoin is definitely in the same league.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

Anyone who matters has heard of Pomona. Believe it or not, for many of us, we don’t care what schools Joe Schmoe has heard of or if the people on the Beltway will be impressed by a Pomona sticker.

I know many people who have never heard of Pomona. They matter, you elitist snob.

Well, sorry, but those people won't matter when it comes to "elitist" practices like applying to top graduate programs or prestigious firms. Don't feel offended about not having been in the know. Now you know, and the fact of the matter is that in our stratified society, awareness and enthusiasm for these highly competitive small liberal arts colleges are markers of class status.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

My kid went to Bowdoin so it was a similar scenario. My immigrant relatives actually couldn't believe my bright kid was going to go to this school they had never heard of - until they started asking the other senior partners and coworkers. My kid wanted a small to medium school, with a town, a good campus and strong academics. Bowdoin was all that. There were things that my kid didn't like about their time there but academics were strong and there are lifelong friends. Kid ended up going to an ivy grad school and people recognize that name just fine.

Bowdoin is no Pomona. Not in the same league.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

Anyone who matters has heard of Pomona. Believe it or not, for many of us, we don’t care what schools Joe Schmoe has heard of or if the people on the Beltway will be impressed by a Pomona sticker.

I know many people who have never heard of Pomona. They matter, you elitist snob.

No one in a position to a hire a Pomona grad for a job hasn’t heard of Pomona

Does this include fast food restaurants?

Ha ha ha you make joke, that Pomona guy can only get fast food jobs ‘cause the school is a bad school! You are so funny!

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

My kid went to Bowdoin so it was a similar scenario. My immigrant relatives actually couldn't believe my bright kid was going to go to this school they had never heard of - until they started asking the other senior partners and coworkers. My kid wanted a small to medium school, with a town, a good campus and strong academics. Bowdoin was all that. There were things that my kid didn't like about their time there but academics were strong and there are lifelong friends. Kid ended up going to an ivy grad school and people recognize that name just fine.

The great thing about Pomona is that it has all the benefits of a small LAC but its campus adjoins its four sister schools, and you can take classes at any of them, extracurriculars have participants across schools, etc, so it also has many of the benefits of a larger university.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

Anyone who matters has heard of Pomona. Believe it or not, for many of us, we don’t care what schools Joe Schmoe has heard of or if the people on the Beltway will be impressed by a Pomona sticker.

I know many people who have never heard of Pomona. They matter, you elitist snob.

Of course they matter. I meant the people who matter when you’re deciding which college to attend — namely employers and grad schools — will know Pomona.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never really understood why anyone goes there because, if you have the grades and all, why not go to a bigger school that people have actually heard of? What’s the appeal? I’m stumped.

Anyone who matters has heard of Pomona. Believe it or not, for many of us, we don’t care what schools Joe Schmoe has heard of or if the people on the Beltway will be impressed by a Pomona sticker.

I know many people who have never heard of Pomona. They matter, you elitist snob.

No one in a position to a hire a Pomona grad for a job hasn’t heard of Pomona

Does this include fast food restaurants?