<p>I'm applying to Pomona but live in Pennsylvania and am unable to visit the Claremont area unless I'm accepted. Unfortunately, everything I've heard about the Claremont area has either come from the web or talking to a friend from LA. The one thing that worries me is that when I was talking to my friend about Claremont she referred to it as the "armpit of California." She told me about how it was extremely smoggy, nowhere as near the beach and LA as the websites I've visited made it seem to be, and that the town was lifeless. Please tell me this isn't true because Pomona was one of the top schools on my list. I'd like to know anything I can about the weather, the town and campus life, and how long it takes to get to LA, etc. Thanks for the help and hope for more positive info.</p>
<p>i was there this weekend, and i had no "smog" problems. the place was beautiful, maybe thats because im from kansas, but i thought the town was really nice. it only took me 40 minutes or so to get to pomona from LAX, and while i was staying there people had their dorm rooms open way past one or two in the morning having a nice loud time. i fell asleep at ten~eleven while i stayed there, but it wasnt because it was boring, but because i woke up at 4:30 kansas time (aka 2:30am in cali). it wasnt like i went during one of the most exciting days, it was a thrusday. the people there are a lot nicer than i expected, just because the school has such a good reputation i was expecting really uptight people, but they were all really nice. but that was just pomona, i dont know about the other CCs.
personally, pomona is def my first choice now that ive visited. now to write those essays and hope i meet the ED deadline...and pray to get in.....
i hope that helped.</p>
<p>I'm a student at neighboring Claremont McKenna, so I can address your concerns. Claremont is a nice place, not the ideal college town, but a nice place.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>All the stores/restaurants you'll ever need are a quick walk/drive away. Within one mile, there is a mall, a Target, a Wal-Mart, a Best Buy, a Circuit City, and all the other retailers you can think of. There are also a ton of fast-food joints and nice restaurants within a 5-10 minute driving radius. Think of this as a prerequisite for any college town.</p></li>
<li><p>The weather is nice. It's not as hot during August and September as most people think. </p></li>
<li><p>The smog claims are really over done. The smog problem is non-existant compared to 5 or 10 years ago. I can clearly see the mountains almost every day. I also have a few asthmatic friends, and I don't think the air has ever given them any problems. </p></li>
<li><p>The general location within SoCal is not that bad. Most LA-area attractions are within an hour at most. The beaches are also within about an hour. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Claremont is hardly the "armpit" of SoCal. </p>
<p>Overall, I would say that the location is a net positive attribute of the Claremont Colleges.</p>
<p>Brandon</p>
<p>CMC '08</p>
<p>it's beautiful there.</p>
<p>your friend is lying :-p entirely.</p>
<p>i loved it when i visited.</p>
<p>I agree with Brandon and Chalk. Claremont is very nice for Southern California, and you can't beat Southern California weather. The town reminds me of Carmel, a little upscale and artsy. The schools are fantastic (<a href="http://www.claremont.edu%5B/url%5D">www.claremont.edu</a>).</p>
<p>My daughter visited (from the east coast) in October and loved it!! She and my husband thought it was absolutely beautiful, the students were warm and friendly (esp at CMC). I don't know anything about you, but she went out thinking Pomona would be her frist choice and ended up loving CMC and applying ED there. We got a very cheap flight on Air West, so you may want to visit after all. I think making the trip across the country carries a lot of weight with the admissions office and would increase your admissions chances.</p>
<p>I could give a true visitor's view of my visit down in Claremont. I went down there during the Dec. 4 weekend and it was not sunny, but you can't actually hope that every single day will be filled with sunshine. It was rather chilly and drizzling. Living in San Jose, I was quite surprised by the infamous smog. To be honest, I couldnt see through the thickness. However, I visited Scripp's campus and it was beautiful. Pomona was absolutely stunning as well. I was driving down there and I can not possibly believe the idea of LA trips on weekends. Traffic was HORRIBLE. When I was on campus, it was very quiet and I probably saw about 10 people. That was probably due to the fact that it was the weekend before finals, I'm not sure. Despite, the traffic, smog and quiet, the Claremont Colleges will fit a specific type of person. I was accepted ED at Pomona and I think they are fantastic.</p>
<p>Merna--my D was accepted ED to Pomona and fell in love with the school and the area. A friend whose son graduated from Harvey Mudd said that he didn't find the air quality bad at all. The only times it got "smoggy" was during the brush fires. My S is a sr. at UCLA and even though he's a lot closer to the ocean that D will be, he's been to the beach only once! The Claremont area is lovely--a New England like village of shops and restaurants lies at the foot of Pomona's campus. You can see the San Gabriel mountains from campus, and palm trees line the walkways.</p>
<p>mchllhcm, you say Pomona is great for a certain type of person. Can you please elaborate? My D visited and was wowed. Thanks.</p>
<p>"Traffic was HORRIBLE"</p>
<p>it's not that bad. im from kansas, and when i visitied, i was able to drive from through LA traffic. im only 17. the people are really nice and if you signal they make room for you. i guess it WAS a little slow....</p>
<p>i live about an hour away from pomona [without traffic]... the smog "issue" really shouldnt be a problem at all. It can occasionally get bad over summers, but on the whole it doesnt tend to bother 99 percent of people. As of late, it has been rainy and cold [by california terms-- its still pretty warm for people from the east coast], but this weather is unusual and foreign to say the least. Traffic can be bad, but you have to know when to drive--off-peak hours are tend to be smooth and if you have a carpool [depending on the freeway] youll be fine.</p>
<p>Brandon and ryanjpat--are you students at Claremont? I would love to ask you some questions about the basic requirement courses--what are they like?? Have you been happy at CMC? What do you like and dislike? Thanks</p>
<p>Mommamia</p>
<p>When I said a specific type of person, I meant to say a specific type of person for the Claremont Colleges. They are not UCs. I might sound pretentious because I won't attend until Fall, but I think it's just a smaller campus with a highly concentrated student body. Most of my friends go to UCs and these people were incredibly smart. However, the UC experience was just a blast to them and they kind of slacked (a lot of them-valedictorians and math champions). I would like to think that the Claremont Colleges are for more concentrated individuals. Even with this said, it is always up to the individual and how he/she adjusts to the freedom. As for me, I love the opportunity to be able to live and learn with a smaller community and concentrate on academics.</p>
<p>maybe it's because i've lived in socal for so long but i never really noticed a smog problem in claremont. i live about 5 minutes away in pomona the city, and most of the time, i've have a clear view of the s.g. mountains. anyways, smog isn't so bad... if you look at LA before sunrise, the smog makes the city look purple. it's really nice. =] hahha</p>
<p>there's public transportation that can take you to LA in about 30-40 minutes since it cuts right through the middle of the freeway. as for traffic, sometimes it's heavy, other times it's not. just stay away during rush hour and i've made it to LA in 20 minutes a couple times. and it IS close to the beach and there's so many to choose from. the thing i love about this area is that it's 30 minutes to the beach, 30 minutes to the mountains, 30 minutes to lakes, and so on. it's right in the middle of everything. besides, LA isn't worth going to too many times. also, claremont IS pretty lifeless but there's a bunch of cities surrounding it that have a lot to do.</p>
<p>don't worry about the area... you'll be safe in socal. =]</p>
<p>claremont is a fine place to live. but heres the thing: at least as a freshman, i havent been really anywhere in the LA area. i dropped a girl off at LAX once and went to venice beach once, but other than that, ive just wanted to stay on campus and hang out with my friends. there is a lot to do on campus: play frisbee, tan on wig beach, volleball, swimming, and catching up on that reading from last week... so really, at least in the first year, the surrounding area isnt a big deal at all. they are too many new people to meet and things to get settled to even worry about it, and once you meet some of the pomona people, i think you wont even want to leave. we get a 4 week christmas break and i am sorely missing school and cant wait to go back. basically, the point of this longwinded post is to get you to understand that the surrounding area, while playing some role in college life, is NOT the main factor. so even with the mediocrity of claremont (just a normal suburban town), it doesnt detract from the college experience at all. good luck.</p>