My 2011 wish: That my second daughter gets into Pomona

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pomona College
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<p>My older daughter is attending Pomona this year, and her younger sister, 16, is finishing HS next year. She spent this year's spring break on a college trip to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, UPenn, Princeton, and MIT. She came back excited about UPenn and Columbia.</p>

<p>Her stats... I wish they were better but she is such a hard worker and I know her work ethics and dedication alone should help in her College apps this year. Plus she is working to improve some in the fall.</p>

<p>GPA = 4.30 (weighted)/4.01 (unweighted)
SATII = BIO-690, CHEM-690, MATH-690 :( (kinda weird)
SAT = 1920 (she plans to take it again this fall)
PSAT = 188
ACT = Taking this in Oct.
APs = BIO-5, EH-4 (both taken in 10th grade), CALC AB & CHEM (results due soon). Plan to take APEL, CALC BC in 12th grade.</p>

<p>ECs = Lots. Currently volunteering 4h/wk in the ICU of a major hospital in San Diego.</p>

<p>Leadership = Been in student leadeship from Middle School through High School. Awarded Student Leader of The Year in 8th grade. and the "Student Leader of the Year" in 11th grade. She is the VP of her schools' ASB. She does have a natural talent to lead people... she is very good at it.</p>

<p>Career goal = Become a Pediatrician.</p>

<p>College List = UPenn, UCLA, Berkeley, Davis, Columbia, Pomona, Michigan, Duke, John's Hopkins (I think she needs a few "safeties")</p>

<h1>1 College = UPenn :( (here is where as a parent I hope to influence somehow...)</h1>

<p>I know her stats are pretty weak in some areas, but she is an all-around girl in so many ways (academics, sports, ECs, leadership, etc.), and I am very optimistic she will get into a very good school. Can she make it into Pomona? Tough, but probable.... Will she make it into Pomona? - this is my wish.</p>

<p>Is this wishful thinking??? Will appreciate all of your thoughts and comments....</p>

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<p>UPenn and Pomona are very different. And looking at the college list, Pomona is completely different from the other schools (its the only LAC). If she likes UPenn more than Pomona, shes probably a University person and you should let her go where she wants.</p>

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<p>Based on the information you gave us, it looks like Pomona is a HUGE reach. SAT scores are well below Pomona’s average and ECs are very unimpressive for the most selective LAC in the country. </p>

<p>Of course, a higher SAT score, recs which describe your daughters “natural talent to lead people”, great essays, etc. will give her a better shot.</p>

<p>Also, what’s her class rank?</p>

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<p>All of her choices look kind of reachy so far. I agree that she needs some matches and safeties.</p>

<p>How about Scripps? Occidental? (both are similar to Pomona…) How about UCSB? USC?<br>
On the east coast, how about Boston University or Penn State? She might like the University of Washington, or U of Oregon in the Northwest?</p>

<p>Does she even want a school like Pomona? If Penn and Columbia are her first choices, I agree with the poster that says this girl may prefer a larger U. But there are a lot of great schools that aren’t as selective as the ivies but that share a lot of the characteristics of the larger urban campuses of Penn and Columbia.</p>

<p>It may have been a mistake to visit only such highly selective schools. Who wouldn’t love them?</p>

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<p>Thanks for the comments…</p>

<p>My kids love to aim high… nothing is a HUGE reach. I teach my kids to never give up and to never assume they cannot do anything or get anywhere in life. If they want it bad enough, they will achieve it.</p>

<p>With that said, yes, a cursory look at academics may suggest she has lots of reaches in her list. It is work in progress and will evolve. I suspect she will prune the large universities down a bit and add a few more LACs. Size is not a factor for her, it’s getting the best education that allows her to achieve her career goal.</p>

<p>Her class rank is 10/600. She is spending the entire summer at a SAT prep program and is planning to take ACT in the fall to supplement… As for ECs, she has TONS… too numerous to list here. And rec letters will be extremely good cos she’s well known and well liked throughout her school… a gem of a girl, even if I say so… Yes, I am indeed extremely proud of her. </p>

<p>I am expecting she does bump up her SAT scores. Nothing she can do now about those pesky SATIIs… maybe she gets an awesome score in ACT to make it up… :slight_smile: I am an eternal optimist I guess…</p>

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<p>When I described her EC’s as unimpressive, I was assuming that the relatively meaningless things you listed -volunteering at a hospital, 8th grade leadership award - were amoung the highlights of her non-academic resume. If she does have great, focused ECs (with leadership positions), then I take back what I said. But your description gives me the impression that it’s a laundry list of a lot of clubs, which would be a turnoff for colleges.</p>

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<p>Pomona does look for students who demonstrate both breadth (involved in a variety - not necessarily a lot - of activities and interests) as well as depth (taking on leadership roles in some ECs closest to their hearts plus becoming more deeply involved in activities of interest to them). Namely, a well-rounded student who sounds like your D2.</p>

<p>That said, I have to agree with previous posters who have encouraged you to let her take the lead. School size may not matter all that much to her, so I would also recommend that you let her take the lead on that one. My D (Pomona '09) was adamant about not following in her brother’s footsteps (UCLA) and definitely wanted a school where she would get to know the faculty and the students. Yes, we helped her with identifying good schools to investigate, but made sure they were within her parameters.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Aim high, because even if your daughter does not get into Pomona, she’ll get into a better school than she would have if she didn’t aim high. I’d suggest, however, that you try to contain your love of Pomona in front of your daughter, and you yourself talk up some other schools more target, because as of now, with the SAT stats you’ve described, Pomona is a reach, huge or otherwise. You don’t want her to feel like she’s failed you if she does not get into Pomona (or these other schools you’ve listed).</p>

<p>To get SATs up, I’d suggest a tutor, not a course, because a course goes over points she does not need going over. A tutor will focus on the trouble areas. Make sure you get a someone who really, really understands/specializes in SAT prep, and not a simply a teacher who picks up a little cash on the side teaching SAT prep in her field of expertise. Teaching students in a class to improve their knowledge/intellect and teaching to just out-smart the test are 2 completely different things.</p>

<p>Lastly, think about schools more in her current range with good pre-med records. Holy Cross in Massachusetts, Creighton University in Nebreska, and SUNY Geneseo are some schools you ought to consider that are more target schools.</p>

<p>I’m on this thread because my daughter will be entering Pomona this fall.</p>

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<p>Don’t give up on your quest to get your second daughter into Pomona, oclement.</p>

<p>I like your never-say-die attitude – it’s a good lesson to teach your kids. And I believe that if she concentrates on the testing aspect, boosts her SAT scores into the 2260+ range or hits ACT out of the park with a 33+, she’ll have a great chance.</p>

<p>At that point, the key will be her essays, and the way in which she frames her ECs. As long as she enunciates/demonstrates a passion for life and a love of learning and self improvement, she will have a chance.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you both!</p>

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<p>to all for your wonderful thoughts and comments. I have learnt a thing or two from all of the posted comments and will be putting these to good use.</p>

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<p>Bringing back an old thread…</p>

<p>Just a quick update - Pomona is on my second D’s college list, and with her sister doing so well as a freshman at Pomona, she is very excited about attending Pomona. She has visited the College twice in the last month, and had 2 sleepovers with her sister. Obviously, she loves Pomona… And we cannot be happier to see both of our Ds potentially together in same school. </p>

<p>SAT - result due tomorrow (Oct 28)
ACT - just completed last Saturday
APs - BIO (5), CALC AB (5), CHEM (4), EH (4), EL (TBD), CALC BC (TBD)
Recently added to her school’s “Wall of Fame” for Top-1% academic achievement.</p>

<p>All we can hope for is that she gets in…</p>

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<p>is sibling legacy for Pomona?</p>

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<p>Is she applying ED? I think it gives her a boost.</p>

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<p>I dunno if having a sibling in helps, but it won’t hurt either, I guess :)</p>

<p>SAT results out today, D had 2180… not bad (not great either)…</p>

<p>She is thinking of going for ED1 for Pomona… we’ll see.</p>

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<p>I would definitely encourage her to apply ED if Pomona is really, truly her #1 school.</p>

<p>My S is a freshman at Pomona, and I have never, ever seen him this happy. (He calls it “almost paradise”, I call it “Nirvana” :slight_smile: )</p>

<p>His SAT scores were not great, (although he did have a 34 ACT). We were all completely amazed when he got in, didn’t really think he had a great chance. I think Pomona is a reach for anyone.</p>

<p>It’s great that your D is excited about the possibility of attending Pomona, but I think she should also be in love with other schools on her list. You just can’t count on it, and it would be sad for her to be disappointed, and not excited about her other schools.</p>

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<p>Oclement…Just a word of caution. Be careful that the “reach” schools aren’t going to make your child too stressed with the competition when/if she gets in. </p>

<p>As a mom of three and with a son currently attending Pomona, I have found there are many different ways to have a successful college experience. </p>

<p>My Pomona son had a delightful first year (Nirvana, I agree), but reality hit him this year with his pre-med classes. He has done little but study this year with o-chem and cell bio, and he is feeling the competition when he receives test scores that are just a few points above the class average. It is difficult to adjust to being average for many of these kids. He talks to his friends at Davis (one of our finest state universities) and is disheartened to hear they are taking the same classes and studying a fraction of the time and getting better grades.</p>

<p>Don’t get me wrong–Pomona is great. I just see that it isn’t easy and it isn’t for everyone.</p>

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<p>Try not to worry wcm. O chem is much easier in semester 2 and if he’s taking physics, that tends to be easier than cell bio. Our son(a junior ) has taken 3 lab science courses + 1 or 2 non lab classes every semester and wouldn’t have it any other way. We keep suggesting he try something out of his major and he replies that he still feels like a kid in a candy store with regard to the cool science classes. I also think it’s a lot better when they get those pre-med type of classes finished. Our son also does a sport which he claims gives him a very important physical outlet. As you can imagine, he doesn’t get straight A’s, but has a decent GPA.</p>

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<p>Thank you Pianomom for your thoughtful post. It is good to know it will get easier for him. Like your son, mine copes with stress by excercise but had to give up his club sport from first year because of the time it took, so he is riding a stationary bike while studying! Perhaps he is just trying to get me to feel sorry for him and send him another package of homemade treats…</p>

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<p>OClement-- I concur with BengalMom (who I met at Pomona orientation last August). It’s apparent from your posts that you are really gushing over Pomona. I wish you and your D every success, but don’t put all your eggs in one emotional basket. See the first paragraph of my advice above. I only emphasize this because I’ve made this mistake-- I pumped my D up for Dartmouth too much (she didn’t get in). My D now sees Dartmouth was not the school for her (from what her friends now attending tell her about it), so that’s good, but in retrospect I shouldn’t have been so focused at the time on one school. Try to hedge a little.</p>

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<p>You seem a little too critical of your daughter. An SAT score of 2180 is fantastic. If I were you I’d lay off a little bit and let your daughter make decisions for herself. After all, it is HER experience and HER education.</p>