<p>“I could play football at Pomona but I am not sure I want that commitment.”</p>
<p>Football at Pomona is a big time commitment! Since everyone’s top priority is academics most end up dropping it. </p>
<p>“I am interested in science and Math, and possibly engineering but am not sure yet.”</p>
<p>Rice is fantastic in those areas! Pomona is also top notch in math[2nd most popular major], chem, biology, astronomy, geology, and computer science, though its physics could have some improvement. Engineering classes at Harvey Mudd are really easy to take, as are their physics classes, and both schools offer a good deal of classes the other doesn’t, which enhances the course offerings at both schools!</p>
<p>“I want the best education I can find.”</p>
<p>This shouldn’t really be a factor. Rice and Pomona are both about good as it gets in undergraduate education.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure about the advantages of Universities vs. LACs.”</p>
<p>Both Pomona and Rice are distinct in that they’re balanced. Rice is the university with a significant undergraduate focus and it has a very liberal artsy feel. It has a significant research presence on campus. Pomona is a pure liberal arts college with no graduates at all, but it has the Claremont Consortium right across the street- a community of 7000 students, 650 faculty members, 7 dining halls, a 2 million volume library collection, 2500 classes, and 300 clubs and organizations. The events in all 5 of the colleges are open to all each day, which makes for a vibrant social scene. Pomona, despite its size, has a gigantic endowment, the 4th largest per student of any school in the USA after Princeton, Harvard, and Yale. </p>
<p>That being said- Pomona on average tends to have smaller classes than Rice (especially in the 50+ range). The individual attention and community vibe at Pomona is arguably better because it is a liberal arts college, but trust me- Rice’s community is also fantastic. </p>
<p>Both schools are really diverse (20/16/9/1/10.5 vs 20/11/7/0/10 Asian/Hispanic/African American/Native American/International at Pomona vs Rice respectively), but I think Rice emphasizes culture more than Pomona, partly because of its location in Houston. 55% of Rice students are from out-of state, compared to 68% of Pomona students. Socioeconomic diversity: 17% receive Pell Grants at Rice compared to 18% of Pomona students, so very minute differences.</p>
<p>Rice is in a wonderful location, with internships and opportunities abound, while Pomona is almost an hour away from LA. </p>
<p>“I am from the West Coast, and want to live here when older, but may want to get away for some period of time.”</p>
<p>Houston is an amazing city, full of many attractions and destinations. It’s really uncharacteristic of the South in general, and if you can, I think you should try it out. I would think however that Pomona will be better known to the public on the West Coast, but neither school is really well known to the public- there are people in Houston who are completely oblivious to Rice 
More Pomona students will go on study-abroad (programs for your interests include Cambridge Chemistry, Budapest Math, and Oxford Math/Chemistry), and Pomona students can do semester exchanges with Swarthmore, but there is rarely a need to get out because SoCal has much to offer. You can see all the seasons here[you won’t see snow in Houston], go skiing, go to the beaches, explore the most scenic national parks, enjoy attractions like Disney Land, explore the multifaceted city of LA, and see the Pacific Ocean. Claremont is safe, beautiful, and offers plenty to the students- think Rice Village!</p>