ED next cycle, Pomona College as a New England Student [in Comparison to Vassar]

College Search & Selection
,
1

Hello! I am a first-generation student who has narrowed down her top choice for college for ED in the next cycle, entering in Fall of 2024. I would love some help and guidance in what school is best for me, Pomona or Vassar?

I am looking into double-majoring in Media Studies and Science, Technology, and Society. I love the possibilities of an open curriculum and a small liberal art college atmosphere. I wouldn’t say I’m too alternative or super preppy but I love art! I would say that the alumni network, social life, life after college, and academics are important to me! Both schools I’ve heard have great professors, classes, and overall academics are great.

I love Vassar because they really emphasize their open curriculum and encourage students to take classes for the fun of it. When I toured I felt like the atmosphere was supportive and the people were super sweet. It was hard finding a LAC that had a good amount of “preppy” and “alternative” students. Out of the 8 LAC I toured, I felt like Vassar had both which was something I valued. Bonus for the campus and I don’t mind the “bubble” feel. I come from a small high school and I toured schools like Northeastern and Boston University and sadly their big student population overwhelmed me. I didn’t like how I felt I was an ant in a colony. I know that a smaller undergraduate population would suit me better, but I also don’t want it to be too small that I can’t find new people. Location was also not a huge factor for me, more so a bonus but not a con. So Poughkeepsie doesn’t really bother me and I can always take a train to NYC if I wanted to. I also heard that events on campus are always happening and there are dorm parties. Overall, Vassar has treated me well and it’s a great top choice for me. If anyone can speak on the alumni/networking that would be really helpful! Also life after Vassar. Is it relatively easy to get a job after graduation? I’m hoping that by going to college in New York, it would be easier to find a job in NYC or just in general.

Now, I have no idea why Pomona speaks so much to me but it does. I live in New England, so thinking about going to school in sunny weather makes me really happy. I’ve also found almost no bad reviews on Pomona. I love their 5cs and how I have access to so many classes, people, and overall faculty. Students say there’s plenty to do on campus and off campus. One student even said that Pomona even pays for the events they want to go to. I’ve seen more posts by Pomona students attending parties and school-sponsored events (they seem really fun). However, I heard that Southern California is not for everyone. If I was overwhelmed with Boston I feel like traveling to/living in California would be too much for me. My family is also pretty low-middle income so going back and forth to California would not be financially comfortable. I suspect I would only come back home 3 times a year? As a first-generation student, it sounds really scary. But I also heard that Pomona’s transition programs are really supportive, especially for first generations.

Something I am worried about is the coursework at Pomona’s. I toured Williams and Amherst and even just looking at my tour guide I can tell that the environment was stressful. The students there all said that they don’t have much time to do other things besides study. I don’t want to attend a school where I feel like all I can do is academics. I do want to have a social life without academics being too powerful that it chokes me. I’ve also seen many Pitzer, HM, Scripps, and CMC students portray Pomona students as “insufferable nerds”. I keep getting mixed reviews on how hard academics are at Pomona so if anyone has any input please let me know.

Another thing is also the fact that I’d really be on my own at Pomona. Not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. I have no family in California and even thinking about where to start if I attend Pomona is a little scary. For instance, moving in into my dorm and transportation. At Vassar, first years can have their cars so move-in day is not stressful at all for me. Vassar is also only a 5-hour drive from my house so if I really wanted to, I can go home for the weekends without any issue. I have the balance of having my own independence from college but I’m also able to go back home.

After writing this I feel like it’s a no-brainer to go to Vassar, but I’d feel better if I had other’s opinions, experiences, etc to help me finally decide! Embarrassingly, I do think that Pomona’s rankings are making me question my choices. I’m not sure if Pomona being high in LAC rankings really matters that much. Especially if Vassar is Top 20 in LACs usually. My heart dreams to go to California for college but my brain disagrees.

Any help/input would be awesome :slight_smile:

1 Like
2

embrace discomfort & slay at pomona imo

1 Like
3

My daughter went to Scripps, and one of her majors was based at Pomona. She took classes on all five campuses, and the rigor was pretty much equal in her experience. She made friends who were Pomona students, and they weren’t insufferable nerds, lol. And as far as urban overwhelm, Claremont is a pretty sleepy little suburb - not overwhelming at all - and the nearest airport (Ontario) is only a 10 minute Lyft ride away.

That said, travel across the country is always an expense and a project. You won’t find direct flights to Ontario, so you’ll have to decide which is more stressful - a connecting flight with an easy transfer on the ground, or an easy direct flight to LAX but more hassle getting from LAX to campus.

The programs in your areas of interest at the 5C’s are excellent, and the arts are everywhere, both on campus and off. The atmosphere is friendly, and the shared resources of the 5 colleges mean a wealth of social and extracurricular opportunities. If we took travel out of the equation, Pomona could be a great choice for you!

However, the rankings differential between Pomona and Vassar is not the reason to choose Pomona - they’re both excellent schools, and the difference in ranking really isn’t meaningful. And Vassar is great for your academic interests too.

Do you have both financial aid packages? Are they equivalent, or is there a difference either in out-of-pocket cost or loans required? (My impression is that Vassar tends to require loans whereas Pomona gives no-loan aid - is that correct?) I’m wondering if the travel expenses for Pomona really make it more expensive overall, or if that’s offset in your aid package.

It really comes down to a personal choice - does Pomona appeal to you enough to handle the travel and being that far from home? Either way is a perfectly good choice - it’s a matter of what works for you.

(Also, if you did go to Pomona but wanted to spend some time on the east coast, they do have domestic exchange programs with Swarthmore and, I think, Spellman.)

You really can’t go wrong with either school, and I’m sure whichever you pick, you’ll be sad to turn the other down. This is a “follow your gut” situation, I think - just make sure your gut isn’t unduly influenced by misconceptions, as I don’t think that these schools really differ that much in terms of rigor or student personalities. Congrats on two great admits!!

Edited to add: Apparently I misunderstood - this sounded like you’d been admitted and were struggling with the decision, but apparently you’re applying in the fall. Have you run the NPC’s for both schools? What’s your budget, and do both schools meet it?

2 Likes
4

Deleted.

5

Deleted

1 Like
6

Replies in this topic have been based on divergent assumptions: that the OP has gotten into these schools, and that the OP is looking ahead to a potential ED application.

7

Thanks for the heads-up. I read OP’s post too quickly. It sounds like they were accepted to both schools. I’m going to edit my previous post.

1 Like
8

I too thought she got in

OP should check the NPC. She should also check the curriculum. And also note the 5 Cs, while not large, are larger. And should note air quality in the Claremont/Pomona if there are any breathing/health type issues.

Both are fantastic schools. There is something to be said for being close enough to home. But there is also the sense of adventure.

Looking at the #s - Vassar doesn’t show by region but looking at top states it’s less geographically diverse. Nearly a fifth of Pomona students come from the NE so you’ll find friends from near home. Their regional distribution is quite impressive.

There’s no wrong answer. Also check the NPCs as they may calculate need differently.

Best of luck.

Ps - don’t forget your most important school - ie the safety.

Pps you might see if you qualify for a Pomona fly in. See link below.

Now I’m confused. If OP got in, check curriculum, affordability and air quality. Best of luck.

9

To offer my opinion, it’s not certain from the original post whether or not the OP has gotten into these schools. Based on timing and tone, however, I’d guess that this topic pertains to a potential ED choice to be made this fall. If this represents the case, I hope you saved the content of the post you deleted.

1 Like
10

hey guys! i see the confusion in the comments and I’d like to clarify that these are my future ED choices :slight_smile:

2 Likes
11

I am always struck by how the use of alumni starting salary is a poor measure of the success of a school in placing students into meaningful jobs. By that measure, a school that sent everyone into finance would rank quite high, and a school that sent everyone into non-profit social service or education or the arts would place quite low. I think students that go off to graduate school also do not help these rankings …

I think that alumni satisfaction is a better measure - but that is not as often recorded/sampled. Similarly, I am always interested in how career services reports where graduates go…

Both Vassar and Pomona have active alumni networks. My current Vassar student has been impressed with how actively alums work with current students.

Final note: if you didn’t enjoy the larger sized schools - really pay attention to how the Claremont Colleges are arranged and work. The five school all share a single campus (they inhabit different corners, but take a look at the google map and you can see how they connect), and students mix and mingle between them, enjoying different dining halls, classes, etc. Pomona, for example, hosts the orchestra for the Claremonts, I believe … If you look at the Claremont website, it says “With 9,000 students and 3,600 faculty and staff, located on more than 540 acres of land …” (Contrast this with Vassar, 2,500 students on about 1,000 acres).

So while you would be accepted to a small Liberal Arts College of 1600, you would be part of a much larger overall school.

1 Like
12

My daughter just considered both of these colleges in the recent admission season. She was admitted to both, and both were on her list of favorites to explore more in April as she tried to come to a decision.

I don’t have much to add about Vassar as it sounds like you already know that school well, and it is a comfortable choice for you.

Have you visited Pomona? I couldn’t tell from your post. We visited a few weeks ago and loved it. The campus is beautiful, there is a lot of racial and ethnic diversity (more so than at Vassar). There is also diversity of student fashion/style (which you were wondering about) - it wasn’t all one thing, and having the 5 different colleges helps with that, too.

The Village of Claremont was a great size - not overwhelming but bigger than Arlington near Vassar. There was a very welcoming inclusive vibe, and the students we were with did not seem to be “insufferable nerds.” Lol.

They do not have an open curriculum like Vassar has, but when we dug into their requirements, they felt the easiest to meet from among my D’s top choices that had distribution requirements.

Also, the financial aid from Pomona was excellent (and better than Vassar’s for us). As you said you are first gen, I’d recommend you apply this summer to their fly-in program. If you are accepted to Perspectives on Pomona, they will fly you out in October so you can see for yourself before you ED. Good luck!

2 Likes
13

Thank you for your input on the alumni network! Might I ask are the Vassar Alumni’s easily accessible? And also how your Vassar student is enjoying (or not enjoying) Vassar? I also agree about the starting salary piece, I usually don’t take that into consideration when determining a school.

I did know about how the 5cs share a small acre of land. I thought about how it would be somewhat bearable because I’d have a community back at Pomona in a way. I’m not sure if feeling overwhelmed would apply to Pomona since it would be a different atmosphere than one at Northeastern (if I assume). The hard part is that there is a high possibility I won’t be able to visit Pomona in person (unless I get accepted into Pomona’s fly-in program that’s super selective).

14

Thank you so much for your input! I will definitely apply to Pomona’s fly-in program. I just worry about how I won’t be able to formally tour unless I get in. However, your experiences while touring Pomona helped a lot! Thank you so much.

2 Likes
15

hey I’m also doing pomona fly in and based off of what ive seen its def also a tour in itself. happy to pm and exchange more info tho!

1 Like
16

However, you did ask about employment prospects following graduation. Considering early career salaries may represent a much simpler method of evaluating this than attempting to compare less tangible aspects such as career center services and alumni networking.

1 Like
17

@foxrye Personally - I’m not a fan of evaluating alumni networks in regards to where to attend.

Alumni will help, mentor talk to you - but they’re not likely placing folks in job.

Even the behemoths of alumni - the Penn States and Texas A&M - I’m personally not a believe that this should be a component of selecting a school. Plus, I looked at multiple articles of best alumni network - neither school appears although other LACs do.

I do agree on average salary although depending on the schools, location has to play a factor. Vassar does not make it easy to see where people are going. It’s old and not detailed.

Pomona is a bit better.

In the end, use your ED carefully or if you’re not sure - don’t ED at all. Most don’t.

Best of luck.

Outcomes: Your Future | Pomona College in Claremont, California - Pomona College

Class of 2020 First Destination Survey – Career Education (vassar.edu)

18

I am a Vassar alum and we are not just accessible but we proactively engage fellow Brewers. I graduated 30+ years ago and remain in touch with numerous alum who return to campus annually to inform, support and recruit undergraduates. We use it as an opportunity to reconnect and pay it forward.

In my field we have annual finance and investment banking events on campus. These events have taken slightly different forms over the years but typically speakers are senior professionals, C Suite level alum or Vassar connections. These are people that can hire but more importantly we seek to guide and mentor. Most recently we were lucky enough to have Hamilton James (Tony) former President and COO of Blackstone join us (also former chairman COSTCO) to discuss “The value of liberal arts education for success in all sectors”.

My particular bank also sponsors an in house “Women in Banking” event that targets historically women’s colleges and includes Vassar at my suggestion.

I am aware of numerous other professional areas that sponsor similar events.

I have also been personally contacted over the years by numerous students via various means and in each case I take the time to support them. This often involves putting them in contact with other members of our alumni network based on the candidates profile and or the needs of employers we are aware of. We take pride in helping one another.

People that discount the value of an alumni network based on their experience with large state schools are falling into the trap of focusing on the sheer size of a network. What really matters is the quality, commitment and pride of a smaller network that recognizes the value in helping one another. Vassar is a very special place that fosters a great sense of community that extends beyond graduation.

I know nothing about Pomona so please don’t take this as a one school is better than the other post. Their alumni may be similarly engaged. It is however to suggest you discount the comments of well intended people making broad generalizations who have never actually walked through Main Gate and seemingly seek to extrapolate from their “big state school” experiences. Small northeast former seven sister liberal arts schools are somewhat unique and should not be compared to enormous regional state schools in my experience.

11 Likes
19

Another factor to throw in the mix is endowment per student. At over $1.7 million/student, Pomona’s is more than double Vassar’s ($560,000/student). This tends to translate to more financial aid for more things (travel?), and as noted upthread, no loans.

I also would put my thumb on the scale in support of attending college in a part of the country you are not familiar with. It will broaden you and be part of your education.

However, I would strongly echo @tsbna44’s advice, which is the most important school to find is your safety school(s). If you haven’t already, take a look at Skidmore, Bard, Lewis & Clark. There are, of course many more possibilities! Good luck!

1 Like
20

My child LOVES Vassar. If you look at a few other threads about Vassar, you’ll see that I have raved about his experience a few times :slight_smile:

He is a sophomore - there is a special program every year where the sophomores are invited back to campus a few days early in January, and Career Services brings in a bunch of alumni, divided into different types of career pathways, and then has a series of panels and sessions for the students to attend, as well as several more informal networking events for students to meet with the alums. Each student was given a booklet with all of the alums, their bios, their contact info …

This is just one example. From the other side of things (the student side), everything that Catcherinthetoast says is true. It seems alums are always on campus, and very committed to helping the students.

For what it’s worth - I suspect that this is typical for many liberal arts colleges, and I would be surprised if Pomona is much different.

5 Likes