<p>This is my perfect school, all of which Pomona has...</p>
<p>-Small
-Prestigious but not pretentious
-studious atmosphere that doesn't cause stress
-Great weather
-Access to many programs (the 5 Claremonts)
-Professors excited about learning
-Liberal environment
-D3 Athletics.</p>
<p>So is there anything bad about Pomona? I am visiting 5 colleges soon and so far my list is Lawrence, Grinnell, Rice, U Chicago, and I have yet to pick a 5th. I want to pick a 5th that is unlike all others (not picking Stanford because I feel like it is very much like Rice.) Does geography have anything to do with chances at acceptance? I love school so much, I'm tempted to take a week off of school just to see if it is as good as everyone says. I'm not sure what to expect, but it sounds perfect for me!</p>
<p>The flaws for Pomona tend to be minor or subjective upon the individual.</p>
<p>If you want to major in zoology, engineering, or some extremely weird course offered in only one or two schools in the country, Pomona (or any LACs for that matter) is not for you.</p>
<p>The weather is pretty bad till September and starting Mid-May. Temperatures will nearly always hover over 90, most likely to 100. If you don’t get Mudd-Blaisdell, bring a fan. It gets cold at night. Bring a sweater or two. </p>
<p>Pomona students have a reputation from the other 5C’s for not taking the most of the consortium and remaining isolated within Pomona. But there is a reason for this- Pomona has the most resources of all 5 colleges.</p>
<p>Pomona is not well known by the general public, even by people who life 15 minutes away. People confuse it with a state technical school called Cal Poly Pomona. That being said the true reputation in the eyes of those who matter is very high, so this is not a significant point.</p>
<p>Claremont has gotten much better from previous years, but stores do close early. Nightlife is pretty mediocre outside of campus if that’s your thing. Most activities remain on campus hence the term “Pomona bubble”. LA is there but you need a car to go at night.</p>
<p>That’s about it really. Pretty tiny flaws. Don’t take the people who say “smog” as a flaw seriously, Claremont had no smog what so ever when I visited the campus on three different months.</p>
<p>Definitely see the place for yourself though; Pomona tends to give off a very strong first impression to most people but there are some who’re turned off by it for whatever reason.</p>
<p>Definitely come visit! I’ll echo what nostalgicwisdom said. There are many, such as yours truly, that absolutely love Pomona, and others who do not. It really comes down to personal preference. The flaws that NW mentioned really depend on the individual. For example, I really enjoy the SoCal weather, and can’t wait for it to be a bit cooler (coming from Phoenix, that is). With the 5Cs, I don’t mind that Claremont is pretty quiet and not really a true college town, but for others, that can be a really big deal.</p>
<p>I would disagree with the “weather is pretty bad” comment. It’s actually quite lovely, except for July, August, September until around mid-October, when it’s hot. Even then, the hot summers aren’t as humid and uncomfortable as east coast summers, and most students are not on campus in the summer, anyway.
So yes, bring a fan (or buy one here) for September and October, but you won’t need it after that, most likely.</p>
<p>And yes, geography can make a difference at a small school like Pomona, as they try to get a broad cross-section from all over. Only about a third of the students are from California, yet most of their applicants are, so that tells you something.</p>
<p>It’s pretty hard to find fault with Pomona.</p>