Folks who think only about the Ivy league are actually showing their own ignorance. Do they realize that MIT is not Ivy? Stanford? Harvey Mudd? Many many others. You don’t have to justify someone else’s ignorance. I went to college for the first couple of years in a foreign country( I am not foreign). People gave me blank stares. Employers always loved this and spent a lot of time on it. I was given many jobs that I know I would not have ever gotten otherwise.
You need to follow your OWN path. BTW, you will also get odd comments if you don’t marry, have kids, retire in the right time frame. Of course, this will be from folks who often fail in many things because they are listening to others and not their own inner voice.
Have fun at Pomona. It’s a great school and believe me people know that.
My daughter attends Haverford. She always got the blank stares, so now she just tells people she’s going to a “really small college outside of Philly.” Unless they ask which school (there are SO many there) she leaves it there. She knows she made a great choice for her so doesn’t worry too much about the blank stares.
S19 was a high athletic recruit in his sport. He’s going to an ivy, and in some circles the response we get is people getting a disappointed look on their face and saying something like “Oh, we thought he was good enough to go D1”.
FYI, his ivy has placed in the top ten at D1 Nationals every year for the last ten years. But people who are only tangentially involved in his sport and don’t follow it at the college level don’t realize that.
It’s kind of annoying, more to him than me. But he’s at the right spot for him, both for his sport now and for his long term future in a career. That’s all that matters. I agree with the responses above, come up with 1-2 sentences that lets people know this is an ivy equivalent school in a non condescending way.
WHat they are really saying:
“I have only hear of a limited amount of top schools…why are you not going to one that I think is tops?”
Fret not…employers and grad schools know about Pomona.
What you could say:
“Are you familiar with Pomona? Many people get it confused with Cal Poly Pomona. It is actually one of the top Liberal Arts colleges in the nation. You should check it out.”
Yes, I’ve lived your situation since I was in college myself and now my son is in the same situation.
Either people know of Williams College and are super-impressed, or they have never heard of it. There is no in-between.
Among the never-heard crowd, the most common question is, “Where’s that?,” but we also hear, “You mean William and Mary?” or “You mean Roger Williams?”
I just explain that it is a small liberal arts college in northwestern Massachusetts in the Berkshire mountains near the borders of Vermont and New York. I don’t feel the need to brag about how good it is. I know… grad schools know… who cares who else knows? I don’t feel that everyone I meet has to know how smart I am or how brilliant my son is.
You also can tell them what attracted you to Pomona and why you are excited about it. Then they will be able to enjoy your happiness and enthusiasm with you.
But if someone actually questions or denigrates your school choice, then you can go ahead and tell them that it is one of the nation’s top small liberal arts colleges and that you feel lucky to be one of the only {whatever tiny percentage} accepted. If they persist, you can whip out your phone and show them US News or Forbes.
In a way, it is a big compliment to you. They think you are incredibly smart and should go to a top college. They just have not heard of all the top colleges. So even if what they are saying comes across as rude, it probably is meant as a compliment.
I have never regretted going to a small liberal arts college, and neither has my spouse, who attended a different one. When our son ended up preferring small colleges and applying to one ED and getting in, we both felt really good about his choice, because we knew he’d have a great experience. And you will have a wonderful experience, too!
Best wishes for a marvelous four years!
Trust me, everyone in and just outside of your social circle by now know Pomona and what a great gem of college it is. When my son was admitted to Pomona, everyone in his large social circle looked it up on USNWR. If you’re one of the tops in high school, EVERYONE’s keenly interested in knowing everything about the college you’re going to. Although my son ended up committing to another college, he still has the miniature Pomona pennant proudly displaying on the wall of his room. Be proud and congrats!
As the parent of a kid who went to a top LAC, I have to say it’s a sweet spot to be in, when people ask. If they know it, they are impressed. If they don’t, they either ask about it or they dismiss it. The latter tells me something about THEM 
A friend’s kid went to Harvard and honestly I wouldn’t trade places with her when people ask (as I witnessed twice in one visit with her in our little supermarket not long ago). Their reactions are so totally embarrassing for her. She answers the question then almost physically ducks, because everyone has a freaking opinion about it and it’s usually “oohhhhh wowww that’s incredible!!!” but sometimes it’s kind of hostile (it’s Buckeye land we live in). It’s never just “Oh how nice for him!”
For me, having someone recognize the accomplishment of being accepted to that LAC is like a nice inside joke. Not emarrassing or weird. Embrace it.
Congratulations!
Harvard graduates have that particular “problem” and therefore they learn not to mention the “H” word further they’re separated from Cambridge. It’s always awkward and embarrassing to deal with the reaction, for one. It can also have negative consequences and additional burden that can come with the “H” package at work and in social circles.
You don’t need anyone’s opinion about your school choice. Focus on your goal and forget about trying to tell them whether the school is on top or not.