Barnard or Pomona?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So I know these two schools seem like they're not much alike, but I'm having SUCH a hard time deciding between the two of them. The thing is, I totally didn't expect to get into Pomona, so it was never really a consideration and after getting into Barnard (two weeks before receiving my Pomona acceptance letter), I kind of automatically assumed I was going there. But now I'm just really confused.</p>

<p>I like both schools for totally different reasons. Barnard is in New York which is a huge plus in itself, and I like the idea of attending a women's college but having access to an Ivy League university across the street (not to mention a huge city in general.) It makes it seems a lot less isolated than some other women's colleges I visited. I love the resources that come along with being in the city - but at the same time, I'm worried it may be a distraction. Also, I've heard Barnard intro classes can be pretty huge. Pomona is in Claremont, which is super unexciting and makes the campus seem a bit like a bubble, but the academics are amazing and it really seems like I'd never be in a class with over 30 people (and most would be below 20 either way.) The endowment is a lot bigger than Barnard's which I'm assuming means more funding is available for research, internships, & etc; also, I like that Pomona is included in the consortium but it doesn't seem as strongly linked to the other schools as Barnard seems to Columbia. The whole Barnard/Columbia relationship seems a little strange...I don't want to be treated like a second class citizen of Columbia while at Barnard, but I am not true if this ever really happens (half the people I talk to tell me it does, half tell me it doesn't.)
I'm coming from New Jersey and am extremely familiar with New York City. I used to live there and go all the time. Pomona & Southern California would be a huge change for me, so I feel like it'd be much more out of my comfort zone, which could be a good thing. Still, Pomona is a lot further from home/my family than Barnard is.
I'm interested in a ton of things for my major - right now it seems like neuroscience/psychology, creative writing, sociology, and russian, but I really would like to have the time to explore. I want access to research opportunities and internships while in college.</p>

<p>Basically, I have no idea what to do and would love some advice! Thanks a lot.</p>

2

<p>I much prefer Pomona. I think it's a fabulous school.</p>

3

<p>These are totally different experiences. The 'large university/urban campus' experience is very differant from the LAC experience-you need to decide what matter most to you. </p>

<p>For me, the choice would be easy. I'd choose Pomona and here's why:</p>

<p>-a women's college is a certain kind of educational experience. It should be something you actively seek, not incidental to your choice. </p>

<p>-while access to Columbia is nice, the classes there are very much larger than at Pomona, so you will have a lot less opportunity to interact closely with faculty. No TAs at Pomona either competing with you for reseach opportunities and faculty time. </p>

<p>-All the other Claremont colleges are within walking distance (the campuses are contiguous, as is the case with Barnard and Columbia), so you have 5 schools worth of extra-curricular actitivies and events, dining choices, and courses to check out. </p>

<p>-Because you are from New Jersey and very familiar with New York City, this is a great time to try something new. </p>

<p>-The weather: Go go weather.com and check the temperatures in January, February and March in LA and NYC. Visualize parkas and mittens in NY. Then visualize shorts and flip-flops in LA.</p>

<p>-The new science building at Pomona is great. And they have a large endowment. Not sure about Barnard's endowment: women's colleges have been struggling. That has an impact in their ability to invest infrastructure and in the 'extras' that make campus like fun.</p>

<p>-Pomona is a more 'intellectually intense' experience than Barnard: The kids are amazingly bright and choose a LAC because they want to actively engage with the faculty and each other. That makes it more stimulating and challenging.</p>

<p>Ultimately, however, you have to know what matters to you. As an exercise, try rawing up your list of pros and cons and assign weights to them. See where it comes out.</p>

4

<p>Go to Pomona, the Claremont's are awesome. Clearly you would want to talk to cool kids like me more often. I think that the community of the students at the Claremont colleges is pretty hard to beat, without any sacrifice in academic strength. I'm pretty sure I met you at the accepted students day (I broke my leg and am from Michigan if you want to know who I am).</p>

5

<p>haha yeah i remember you! that's pretty funny :D</p>

6

<p>I think Pomona would offer you an excellent college experience. There is time for New York later on. Go get some sun! I know a girl who is a junior there now and she has really liked all her classes and her overall social experience there.</p>

7

<p>Whatever, I'm not quite as sure about 'funny', but yeah. Pomona is awesome, and I don't think that you can get a better education at any school in the nation, or at least I don't think that I could. To be fair though, I'm still coming to terms with the cost, so it isn't perfect.</p>

<p>(Maybe for each of us) See you in Claremont next year! :D :D :D</p>

8

<p>hah i just meant it was funny that we ran into each other on here (or maybe not so much? yeah i dunno.) thanks for the advice anyway, to you & everyone else! this is super helpful.</p>

9

<p>That part is true. I thought you meant in a 'funny in how unlikely/unlucky' way, didn't mean to be accusing you of laughing at me(you're too cool for that :) ).</p>

10

<p>I'd pick Pomona too. My friend visited Barnard and didn't like it.</p>

11

<p>I totally loved the time that I was a student at Pomona. Great school, gorgeous campus, great weather, and a nice location. I believe that they are also one of the highest rated for having "happy students"</p>

12

<p>Clearly Pomona.</p>

13

<p>While I'm one of the biggest supporters of Pomona and my D really loves it there, and while I agree with the previous posters about the benefits of a Pomona education, college choice is still all about "fit". The one thing that Pomona doesn't have is NYC. I've lived there. You won't find that vibe at Pomona or frankly any other school outside NYC. If you're accustomed to what NYC has to offer, you may be disappointed anywhere else.</p>

<p>Having said that, there really is no other school that comes close to Pomona in terms of caliber of students, access to professors, non-cutthroat atmosphere, and great weather, IMHO.</p>

14

<p>Both great schools. If you go to Barnard, you graduate with a Columbia degree. You have all the resources, classes, and research opportunities of a Columbia student, coupled with the close-knit family of the woman's college. The endowment of Columbia/Barnard is much, much larger than Pomona's. (And the major women's colleges are NOT struggling - Wellesley and Smith's endowments are about the same size as Pomona's.)</p>

<p>I think Pomona is great (though I preferred Scripps). But really, just decide whether you prefer So.Cal or NYC and you can't go wrong.</p>

15

<p>Just a cautionary warning. I think it's largely your personal preference, so you don't want to make a decision based on someone who says a choice is "clear" but offers no reason behind their statement. Anyone who says the choice is obvious doesn't know both schools that well.</p>

16

<p>Mini:</p>

<p>Just a clarification of facts. I'm not sure where you're getting your data. The per capita endowment at Pomona is 4th in the nation, about 10 times that of Barnard and almost 4 times that of Columbia. Barnard does not come close to matching Pomona's financial resources. How much this actually matters in the life of the typical student is another matter.</p>

<p>Bornonthecusp:</p>

<p>I would agree with several posters and suggest academic concerns should drive your decision much less than issues related to fit. </p>

<p>Pomona will offer a fairly traditional campus-centric experience in a safe, if unenthralling, suburban environment. Activities on campus will be extensive, however. LA and the environs (beach and mountains) are always available, albeit inconveniently, for the occasional Claremont escape. </p>

<p>Barnard is a much more niche school. Upper Manhattan is a true inner city experience. The campus is tiny. It is a women's college. The student body spreads out across the city when the sun sets come the weekend. Retention and graduation rates are somewhat lower than Pomona's and I'd ascribe this, in part, to a generally more stressed environment reflecting all the points above.</p>

<p>The better of these two schools is the school that will be a better fit for you. There is no global answer here, as there rarely is.</p>

17

<p>"Just a clarification of facts. I'm not sure where you're getting your data. The per capita endowment at Pomona is 4th in the nation, about 10 times that of Barnard and almost 4 times that of Columbia. Barnard does not come close to matching Pomona's financial resources. How much this actually matters in the life of the typical student is another matter."</p>

<p>Per capita endowment means almost nothing when so much of it is tied up in physical plant, which is the case for most LACs. I am sure that the number of endowed chairs at Pomona is dwarfed by the Barnard/Columbia combination. The question is always how much of the income from the endowment is being spent directly on the students. (a school like Berea has them both beat by a long way). But it is true that Columbia's endowment lags its Ivy peers.</p>

<p>Retention rates at Barnard are lower because a larger portion of the student body is on Pell Grants/low income (and, yes, I'm sure there are some folks who find they just don't like the city.)</p>

<p>Anyhow, I really do think that the question of location really dwarfs any of the other considerations.</p>

18

<p>@ mini
Did you ever meet a women's college you didn't like?
(question is sincere, not meant facetiously)</p>

19

<p>I don't know that many. ;) (But I do think that, for the top ones, their educational quality relative to their selectivity makes them about the best educational values around.)</p>

20

<p>I prefer Pomona too~</p>