<p>As for your point about being Pakistani, I’d say it won’t hurt you. Only about 40-50 of the 7500 people applying to Pomona are of Pakistani descent. Pomona in my opinion has a paucity in terms of them(and Bangladeshis) and I think it recognizes that fact. You won’t get a underrepresented minority boost, but you’ll be slightly helped as Pomona strive to create a diverse multiracial and international community. </p>
<p>Lastly, to comment on your initial points at why Pomona. I visited the school for the Diversity Weekend Program (they paid for my airfare) so I think I can give you an understanding of what Pomona is like.</p>
<p>Yes, the campus is very, very beautiful. Whatever pictures you are seeing on the internet will most likely not be doing it any justice, and I personally feel it’s tragic how Pomona doesn’t seem to get ranked in the schools that are the most beautiful in the world. There are four very exceptional liberal arts college right next door to Pomona that are just as stunning as Pomona is, and Claremont is one of the most charming, beautiful places I’ve been to. I never felt any persecution or prejudice for being Pakistani, which was something I was a little worried about. </p>
<p>The consortium is arguably the best ideas to have come to any undergraduate LAC experience, period. The school seems a lot bigger than your traditional liberal art college would and you’re among a population of 7000 undergraduates no more than 15 minutes away, so it’s definitely in my opinion not suffocating. Cross enrolling is a breeze and every student I talked to said they loved the other schools to death, from the professors to the people. The consortium doesn’t feel like a neighborhood of houses but rather a family community in which the five schools come together to provide one of the most enriching experiences you can make in any college. Lastly, the consortium doesn’t detract from Pomona’s benefits as a LAC- extremely tight knit community, small classes, accessible professors, and it’s not forced upon you- you don’t have to take advantage of it if you don’t want to. You’d be missing out on Scripps’s wonderful cookies though ;)</p>
<p>I thought the social scene is just right- it’s very well balanced. I’d not want to go to a school that was social suicide nearly every day, nor would I want to go to a school that revolved entirely around frats and the like. The 5C’s provide a social event nearly every Wed-Sun of the week. As a Muslim, I don’t do alcohol, and I must comment that there is a LOT of alcohol at the 5C’s. But no one forced me to drink, and I had a blast regardless, so it’s very accommodating. There are also social events sponsored by a nonalcoholic club called That Saturday Club which involve things such as making gingerbread houses, fighting arena style with giant rubber rods, and the like, so there’s something in here for everyone. You can make your social scene is big or as tiny as you want to, and very diverse as well. I do think you might want to take the sub-free vs sub-op point seriously- I stayed at sub-free dorm and some rooms just reeked of the smell of weed. </p>
<p>Academically, the class is very, very smart. I sat down in an English class and the class discussion really stunned me- it was definitely many levels above your high school discussion(I go to a top 50 high school in the US). I was worried about the fact that you take 5 Breadth courses at Pomona, but everyone I asked really praised it, saying that there was so much freedom of class options at Pomona and the 5C’s that one was bound to find a class that would fit their majors. Everyone I asked raved about how amazing their professors were, and while I was exploring the campus I saw professors enjoying lunch with students while they were discussing homework. Definitely an intimate experience. Pomona’s facilities are SO amazing and up-to-date. I was worried it being a small LAC would limit it in terms of that, but Pomona has the largest endowment per student of any of the LACs and you can definitely feel it in the air while you’re there.</p>
<p>Chilled out vibe seems reasonable, but I’d go with the term “work hard play hard”. Pomona students are very, very relaxed for the most part- maybe it’s just a California thing but it was a refreshing experience from my competitive and misery pokeresque high school. No one talks about their grades, their ranks, or other silly stuff like that. However, that does not mean Pomona is a lightweight of an education. People definitely study a lot here- the focal point is the education. It’s just that Pomona students are well-rounded enough to transition smoothly from a great social scene in the weekend to commitment to their studies in the weekday- I really loved that. Pomona, most told me, is extremely hard and academically fulfilling, and you will have those days where you’ll drown in the massive amount of homework you have for your classes. But they also said they felt the grading was fair- Pomona professors grade you based on your individual performance and not that of the class. Ultimately, when I brought up the point that the average GPA at Pomona was a 3.55, they said it was attribute to that fact and how smart the class was, not that Pomona was easy.</p>
<p>Happiness, oh yes. There is definitely an element of happiness in Pomona’s vibe. It’s clear Pomona kids are pampered- I saw all sorts of events going on at Pomona from international festivals to music concerts in just three days at Pomona, and a huge list of subsidized trips to explore LA in the Smith Campus Center. I did not meet a single person who said they disliked the school, and looking through it while touring, it was clear to me everyone was really happy to be there. I think it comes from a lot of factors- of how nurturing the school is, at the freedom of the place, the sunny smog-free weather, the multitude of things to do and clubs to join, the academics, the location, the fact that most if not all of these events are subsidized/free and open to everyone. I could not see a single flaw when I went on the Weekend program. That says multitudes about the type of place Pomona is. Some freshman did point out that there are times you’ll really hate Pomona, mainly because you’re in your room trying to finish a 30 page research paper while the sun is shining and your friends are outside playing Ultimate Frisbee :P</p>
<p>I was initially worried about Pomona not executing well in real life, but every good thing you read about it is true, perhaps even an understatement to the experience. I have come to agree with those who call Pomona the best kept secret in undergraduate education. Where else can you get an education parallel to the Ivy League and top national universities, the intimacy and nurturing nature of a liberal art college, perpetual sunny weather and mild days, an exceptionally well-rounded and friendly class, a consortium of very conveniently located and amazing LACs that contain one of the most diverse communities of any college system in America, 7 dining halls, over 2500 classes, the largest library system any liberal arts college has to offer, and smooth cross-enrolling policies, a wonderful administration that really cares about you, an endowment per student that ranks within the top 5 of any college in the USA, the freedom and balance to make your experience as you want it to be, the opportunity to have anything significant you want funded for you as well to conduct research, and within one of the best locations of anywhere in the world, period[Within an hour s drive to skiing, beaches, national parks, deserts, Disneyland, Los Angeles, arboretums, and mountains, away from the bustle and smog of LA in one of the most beautiful places in California]? Pomonas exceptional in the Princeton Review (which is compiled by student surveys), ranking high in nearly all of the things important in undergraduate education- Best Classroom Experience, Most Accessible Professors, Runs like Butter, Happiest Students, Best Values, Best Financial Aid, Best Quality of Life, and Dorms like Palaces. Its a one-of-a-kind school and if you get in Id seriously consider it!</p>
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