<p>I found this article on housing crunch at Pomona:</p>
<p>This article is dated a couple years back, but I am just wondering whether the problem still persists today. Before I read the article, I've alway thought that Pomona does not have much of a problem on dorms. I am just wondering how "crowded" the dorms really are?</p>
<p>Students will get a room, sophomore year the choices are the worst but my son has consistently had nice large single rooms except for a double freshman year. The main problem has been when too many juniors study abroad fall semester and not many spring semester. There was one semester where some returning study abroad stuents were housed at CMC and Scripps . This has been resolved I believe and this year there were rooms for all returning students. Current students can share more on this issue though.</p>
<p>Since that article, they've built a new dorm (Gibson), and the trailers have been removed. We didn't have the same problems with study abroad this year either, and I know of some vacant rooms currently on campus. The school still guarantees housing all four years.</p>
<p>All of the Claremont schools are currently experiencing housing crunches to some degree or another. It's a bittersweet effect of rises in the schools' name-values and yields. That said, all of the schools--Pomona, certainly--have amazing dorms, so take "housing crunch" with a chunk of salt. </p>
<p>The situation has, both in my own experience and based on what I hear from Pomona students, been a very occasional pain in the butt. It's generally agreed upon, however, that we have <em>nothing</em> dorm-related to complain about. A good dorm situation was important to me as a prospective student and I've been very happy in Claremont. I generally mention the situation on tours, but would never advise a prospective student to put much consideration into it. It's there, but is currently being improved, and really isn't disruptive in any regular or significant way :-)</p>
<p>thanks for the reply!</p>
<p>The housing crunch was anticipated, but did not happen. I am a student at Pomona now, and I've never had a problem getting a room. Even with a bad room draw number, it's hard to get a bad room because all of the rooms are very nice.</p>
<p>As a first year, what is the chance of getting a double and a triple vs. getting a single?</p>
<p>At Pomona, first-year students almost always get a double. To my knowledge, there are very, very few triples (maybe 3 out of all the dorms). Some first-years get singles, but it's not as common as doubles. I'm sure you can make a special request on your housing form if you have a preference. Pomona is very good about making accomodations. They also match people well if you fill out your housing form honestly.</p>
<p>If you are a freshman and you want a single, just ask for one on your housing for and you will be put in one. There are enough out there so that every freshman who asks for one will get one, and some who don't specify will also land in singles. </p>
<p>Other than some doubles in Mudd-Blaisdell, which are of pretty good size if you are put in a double (as a freshman), it will most likely be VERY spacious, so housing really isn't a problem at all. I think there might be one freshman room that is a triple, which is a converted apartment with its own bathroom and foyer/walk in closets, but I think that may be a double this year.</p>
<p>Synopsis: It is very unlikely that you get a bad rooming accomodation as a freshman</p>
<p>Probably the worst case scenario would be getting assigned an incompatible roommate. D's first-year roommate was a great match, but sometimes matches aren't made in heaven! ;)</p>
<p>The official statistic is that a quarter of first-years get singles. You can write down that you prefer a single, but that doesn't guarantee your getting one. Some of my sponsees who expressed that they wanted a single ended up getting doubles. I presume that the reason for that was because they fit well with the other people in my sponsor group, which was placed in a hall of all doubles. On the other hand, I've heard of people saying that they wanted a roommate but were placed in singles. Basically, a lot of different factors go into deciding what kind of room you'll get. If it helps at all, I don't know of any rooms for first-years that are triples. In Wig, there is a sophomore suite for three people but it has two rooms (and its own bathroom, I believe).</p>
<p>Thank you all the replies! I know this may be a bit off topic, but in terms of sponsor groups, does everyone participate in it? By what criteria do they group people?</p>
<p>All freshmen are put into sponsor groups - around 10-15 people with two sophomore sponsors. You all live in the same hall and are grouped based on your personalities and interests indicated on your housing form. Before I came to Pomona, I thought the sponsor program was really lame and I hated having to be forced into it, however, having come here, I LOVE it. My best friends are in my sponsor group and it has made for such a great environment in which to live. I never had the problem of no one to eat dinner with or commisserate over papers with because of my sponsor group. It really is one of Pomona's greatest assets!</p>