@circuitrider wrote
“…One could argue that the reverse is also true and that Pomona has a large share of New Yorkers and Bay Staters, but, in that case there’s a logical explanation - UMass and SUNY have absolutely zero prestige among parents wealthy enough to send their kids to private college.”
Good observation. The subject of prestige can be a bit dangerous as things can get silly in a hurry. As I implied above I may have a bias towards LACS but I also have a lot respect towards good public institutions, they are ultimately the most likely alternative for good students if only because of their resources and in state cost coupled with the vast numbers they accommodate in comparison to LACs. On the other hand the way wealthy people look down on perfectly fine public schools on the northeast I find borderline obscene. I often think that if these public schools were transplanted elsewhere in the country their status will skyrocket. Sure, I understand that they are a stone throw away from many of the best institututions the world has ever seen but those are also rejection factories. Historically lower tiered schools like Northeastern now catapulting up the rankings is blamed on institutional gaming but I believe the anti public NE snobbery should share some of the blame…
Sorry for the detour, couldn’t resist throwing a mini rant here 
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