Parental Qualms

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pomona College
1

<p>I’m currently a junior in high school, and I’ve gotten a good start to my college search. Right now, Pomona is my top choice. I like the school’s location, academics, and resources, and everyone who goes there seems to love everything about the place. At this point, however, my college list is certainly subject to change, and I was wondering if anyone on here could alleviate some concerns my parents have about California itself and about name recognition of the school. My parents beleive that:</p>

<li><p>California is a more superficial state. I don’t necessarily beleive this, but, coming from the suburbs in the midwest, I’m relatively naive. My mother is under the impression that, in general, Californians are more concerned with body image, wealth, and clothing, and that I might be happy in that kind of environment. I realize that this is a gross generalization, but if someone who is familiar with the area could give me an opinion on this, that would be great. They’re not huge fans of the smog and traffic, either. How bad are these, really?</p></li>
<li><p>Pomona is a school that no one knows about. I understand that grad schools and employers generally know about Pomona, but HOW WELL do they know about it? Is it easy to find a job or to get into grad school after graduation? Are the benefits worth the price tag?</p></li>
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<p>Finally (and this is just a general concern of mine), how are the a capella groups?</p>

2

<ol>
<li>I believe the stereotypical student that your parents are concerned with would be more likely found on other California campuses such as UCLA, USC, USD, to name a few. I don't think the students at the Claremont Colleges are typical Californians. For the Pomona class of 2012, only 28.3% are from California - <a href="http://www.pomona.edu/Admissions/otherinformation/classprofiles/2012profile.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.pomona.edu/Admissions/otherinformation/classprofiles/2012profile.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li>
<li>Pomona has an outstanding reputation with employers and graduate schools and would serve you well should you choose either path. Pomona is also excellent with financial aid, so the benefits are certainly worth the price tag.</li>
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<p>My child attends one of the other Claremont colleges and we are not from California either. She loves it and we couldn't be happier that she is there.</p>

3

<p>We tend to stereotype other states by the one or two things we know about them, or that make it into the news. In the case of California, that's Hollywood or Malibu -- and both of these tend to be stereotyped much as your parents see California. In reality, there are many Californias, and many kinds of Californians. </p>

<p>There are also different perspectives on the same reality. For example, some people think of Californians as concerned with body image; but that can also be understood as concern for health. People exercise and eat well not just to look good, but because they can -- the weather is conducive to outdoor exercise, and the local farmers' markets supply fresh vegies or fruit, pretty much year round. California has some of the strictest rules against smoking in public -- again, as a concern for second-hand smoke. I'm always amazed when I visit other parts of the country to discover the amount of public smoking that is allowed and goes on. One gets spoiled here.</p>

<p>It's also true that not all Californians admire all other Californians! I'd agree that there's plenty of superficiality, concern about image, and the like. Is that really not found outside of California? Does it characterize all Californians? </p>

<p>College campuses, especially "elite" colleges like Pomona, often resist or differ from the stereotypes of their surrounding locales, to a large degree because they attract faculty and students from so many other parts of the country. The flavor they take on reflects the campus more than the community. Having said that, I hardly think of Claremont as epitomizing of California's stereotype; it's a community of professional people who work hard. This is an expensive area of the country to live in, and a lot of people aren't concerned so much with accumulating wealth as with getting by.</p>

<p>As for smog and traffic, yeah, they are there; but the efforts to clean up the smog have made huge differences in the last 20 years. Traffic can be heavy at certain times of the day in and out of Claremont, but the reality is that you won't be commuting daily, and that if you plan your cross town trips (say, to the airport) wisely, you can avoid the worst of it.</p>

<p>I write as a native California, who currently lives about 20 miles from Claremont, and whose D will apply to one of the Claremont colleges for next fall.</p>

4

<p>I agree with Sarfield ,Pomona's students are very down to earth and not at all concerned with superficial things. I almost have to laugh at the clothing concern as Pomona students seem more into comfort, not at all designer labels but flip flops, shorts. My daughter went to another CA school though and did transfer back to AZ because many students at her college were not down to earth, extremely into appearance and superficiality and not as friendly so I understand the concern. She loves her new college , by the way. Pomona's student body is very bright, involved and intellectual as well as friendly.</p>

<p>My son had many close friends in capella groups and we ended up hearing many performances. They are quite good and active on campus. They actually perform at many events including parent days, graduation e.t.c. If you spend a night on campus you may want to request staying with someone active in the capella program.</p>

<p>As for after school, my son got a job offer 1st semester senior year and not on the west coast. His friends all seem to have fared quite well with Pomona's reputation. As many say it is only your neighbors or the parents of your classmates who may not know Pomona's reputation.</p>

5

<p>Son is a freshman at Pomona and loves it. He could care less about clothes and with the exception of a pair of flip-flops has made no changes in his dress. His sponsor is in an acapella group and according to my son, they sound great. Having driven in every major US city .I would place LA traffic among the worst and one of the reasons I don't live there anymore. That being said it is not like your are commuting to the campus so I don't see traffic being a deciding factor in whether or not to attend</p>

6

<p>Another concern. On some of the other posts I've seen, Pomona students have complained that the town of Claremont is pretty much "dead at night". Is there even a movie theatre or a couple restaurants that have later hours? Not that I'd be eating out that much, but I would like to have the option of going see a movie on a friday night.</p>

<p>So I guess my real question is, is it hard to find something to do on the weekends? What's the party atmosphere like? If you're sober, is it easy/hard to find something fun to do?</p>

7

<p>The town has undergone many changes and there is an independent movie theater within
walking distance from the school, many restaurants with outdoor patios, shops. etc but maybe students jump in. There is always lots going on on campus with the 5 colleges so you don't even need to venture into LA if you don't want to.</p>

8

<p>Just a few things about Claremont (from my own perspective, of course):</p>

<p>I came from one of the most vibrant, engaging cities in the United States to Claremont, a suburb inhabited by senior citizens. As a freshman, it still comes as something of a shock. As far as the parties go, the 5C parties are pretty awesome (just got back from one and my body aches, haha), but they don't happen that often (perhaps once a month, i dunno). In general, I'd say Pomona parties tend to be pretty weak. As a Pomona student, I'd say the CMC parties are way more awesome. Of course, it depends on what one considers to be a good time. But once again, the town of Claremont is incredibly dull, sans a few places.</p>

9

<p>runninglove,
If you're really interested in Pomona, it would be great if you could visit, and bring your parents along. Most likely, if they saw the campus and the students, a lot of their fears about superficiality would vanish. Seriously, it's a lot of kids in flip flops..... and Zetesis is correct that there are many Californias and California is one of the most diverse states.
I speak as someone who's lived both in the bay area and in Claremont, and I now live in the midwest. I've also lived in the northwest and the northeast. And I can tell you, people are more the same than different, pretty much anywhere you go.</p>

<p>It's true that Claremont is not the most happening place, but honestly, it doesn't matter much to most students. There is low key entertainment to be had (restaurants, the movie theatre) and if you want to go to LA or Pasadena, you will probably either have a car yourself or have a friend with a car. If you crave a college IN a city, then Pomona's not for you, but for many, being near a city (and also near the beach, mountains, desert, etc etc) is sufficient.</p>

10

<ol>
<li><p>I grew up in the upper Midwest. CA definitely has a different vibe to it, but those differences aren't all negative: on the one hand, you could talk about superficiality; on the other, you could talk about diversity and tolerance. All are rooted in some degree of reality. When I moved, though, the differences were things that I noticed over time, and I only REALLY remember them when I travel back and forth between CA and the midwest. Both areas have their own pluses and minuses...after 10yrs, I can't decide which I prefer. I never felt like I was so different that I couldn't relate. Also, remember that about 2/3 of Claremont students come from outside CA (and many of those from CA come from outside of SoCal), so you'll be in very geographically diverse company. I agree with Zetesis' comments.</p></li>
<li><p>Do a CC search for "claremont + smog." There have been dozens of threads, and opinions vary widely. I was never bothered by the air quality, but it's just not something I'm particularly sensitive to (even being accustomed to clean air areas). Visit and decide for yourself, because it affects people differently.</p></li>
<li><p>Traffic stinks. But Claremont is far enough outside the city that it's free from the very worst. As a student, it really didn't affect my experience except that when we were driving somewhere far from the campuses, we planned our driving times well around rush hour. I didn't have a car, but a few friends did, so I traveled around a typical amount. Unless you're planning to bring a car and make a lot of 5pm appointments in downtown LA, I wouldn't worry too much. Worth noting, though, is that driving in SoCal just isn't a lot of fun, even aside from traffic.</p></li>
<li><p>I did a cappella for four years, and have nothing but positive things to say. It's where I met a lot of my closest friends, the groups are well-supported, and there's a lot of variety (though more in group dynamic than in musical genre). There are at least 6 groups (Men's Blue & White, Women's Blue & White, After School Specials, Midnight Echo, Shades, Mood Swing), and all are fun to watch. Most have videos up on youtube, or facebook fan pages with audio clips. I'm currently at a a school with 35,000 students and fewer a cappella options than Claremont. Go figure. This all said, I had friends at other schools whose groups regularly went on European tours, took "bonding" trips to the Caribbean, recorded professionally every year, etc., and that is not Claremont. In general, we sound good, we have fun, but we're low-key. Feel free to PM for more info.</p></li>
<li><p>Personally, I liked the town of Claremont. At the very, very least, I found it perfectly adequate. I didn't usually have a great need to get off-campus, but when I did go a little stir-crazy, I had options. It's not a town through which you're ever going to do a pub crawl, but if you want to grab a non-dining hall meal, nice dinner, coffee, ice cream, etc., or just enjoy walking around in the company of non-students, you'll be fine. It's got some attractive areas, friendly people, and a nice community feel that's lacking in a lot of the surrounding region. And if you have a car (or a friend who does), you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else with so much going on around it (beach, mountains, theme parks, multiple big cities, national parks, etc.). Also worth noting is that Claremont is definitely not a "city campus," but it is relatively urban as suburbs go. It's not the middle of nowhere that it sometimes gets characterized as being.</p></li>
<li><p>A movie theatre just opened up within walking distance, but I don't know much about it. Pomona also has a little theatre where it shows not-yet-out-on-video movies for $2 on the weekends. It's easy to eat on campus until 12-2am on weekends, and I don't know off-campus hours off the top of my head, but yes, stuff would be open for a late-ish Fri. night meal.</p></li>
<li><p>It's never hard to find something to do on weekends, especially if you stay aware of what's going on on the other four campuses. You have to be a little more creative if you're a non-drinker (there's really no pressure to drink, but alcohol is not lacking from the social scene), but Pomona in particular is good about sponsoring sub-free events, and parties that involve more than just a keg and a courtyard. Try visiting on a Thurs. and spending the night...it'll give you a decent picture of both weekday and weekend atmosphere. </p></li>
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<p>My parents both went to (and loved) huge state schools, and they were awed by Claremont. A visit could be very helpful for your whole family.</p>

11

<p>runninglove,
We are from a small town in the Midwest. My husband and I both attended the same big ten state flagship U and we had a great time in college. When it came time for our kids to look at schools, they had very specific elements that they were looking for in their college experiences. Our son at Pomona wanted to get out of the Midwest if possible, and make sure that he would have classmates who were as serious about getting a great education as he was and profs who loved teaching undergraduates. I guess he did not feel that name recognition was as important as the overall educational experience. He has not been disappointed in the least. </p>

<p>Just being a parent I can't speak to all of your concerns, but can address a few:</p>

<p>Air quality: our son is a varsity athlete who also has asthma and allergies. The air quality has not affected him so far and he runs outside from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. When my husband and I dropped him off in August, it was hot and there was some smog that weekend. I noticed it because I had a respiratory infection. When we visited in October the previous year, the air was clear. Just to be safe, our son requested a room in an air conditioned dorm. That has worked out fine. </p>

<p>Preoccupation with body image: As others have said this can be an issue anywhere. I'll give you our family's first impression when we visited. Most of the people we saw or spoke to seemed happy and physically healthy. We thought this might be a result of being able to spend so much time outside. Having the open green spaces, great weather, a recreational outdoor swimming pool, and tennis courts by the dorms etc. gives the students the opportunity to participate in year-round casual outdoor physical activities. Coming from the Midwest, we saw that as a plus. Our son has also become more intentional about eating healthy foods. He raves about the abundance and variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at the dining hall and feels he has good options when deciding what to eat. We don't see this as superficial. </p>

<p>Social life for kids who want to be sub-free: Our son requested a sub-free sponsor group and was placed in one. He loves it and said they come up with fun things to do in addition to having the option to attend parties even if they choose to not drink. He has found the activities on campus to be varied and interesting: comedians, concerts, jam sessions, free outdoor concerts in the village, intramural sports, playing cards and board games, and just hanging out with kids from all over the country and world. He also signed up for a zip car membership which allows him to rent a car by the hour to get out of Claremont when he needs to shop, or he and his friends want to check out something in one of the surrounding cities. </p>

<p>A visit is the best way to see if Pomona is for you. It is a pretty long and expensive trip, which we did not take into great enough consideration. Our son can only come home at the semester break, which is just fine for him. My husband and I are having a tougher time adjusting to the situation, however, we know it’s a great school and he’s getting a good education so that helps. We also insisted that he have some other great options in the Midwest that were admissions matches and safeties before we planned our visit to Pomona. </p>

<p>Good luck with your search. Continue to ask questions and explore many different schools. You may also want to take a look at Grinnell College, as it is similar to Pomona in many aspects but closer to home. They give quite generous merit awards.</p>

12

<p>runninglove,
As this weekend's wildfires continue to burn in the LA area, I felt it would be unrealistic to not mention the air quality during this dire situation. The Freeway Complex Fire is about 20 miles away. Our son said he played IM soccer outside yesterday and the air quality was quite diminished. He said the school would likely not allow varsity practices to take place outdoors today 11/17. The kids can see the fires in the distance from the highest floors of the dorm at night and the air is visibly filled with smoke during the day. His overall impression was that area residents were staying inside while the air is bad, but that there is more concern for the people who are in immediate danger from the fires. Yes, this was and continues to be a concern as parents; however, we did not feel the possibility of fires in the area was a reason for him to not attend Pomona.</p>

13

<p>understandable concerns, but I just want to say that California is one of the most diverse places in the world. Whether people value clothing and brandnames depend more on the SCHOOL than the entire state. For example, USC and UCSD are places that tend to have image-obsessed people, but a few hours away are PLENTY of colleges where people have much more real preoccupations. Like Pomona.</p>

<p>I've lived in Southern california for more than 6 years. The media perception of here is very skewed. They portray us as if all we do is tan, shop and gawk at celebrities as we go get our facials. I bet there are places like that, but let me tell you, the majority of Californians are laid back and much more normal than you'd think.</p>

<p>:] good luck</p>

14

<p>hey OP, define superficial, because I'm from California. CA's a very large state. The CA that I know and grew up in consists of lots of immigrant families who moved here from poorer conditions and worked to establish themselves. A lot of them are middle class people who aspire to make it. Is that superficial?</p>

<p>Don't believe all those TV shows about the OC either; it's not accurate.</p>

<p>And flip flops are standard here. I suppose we could compare who has cooler flip flops...?</p>

<p>As for graduate school and employment opportunities, most, if not every, alumni I talk to tells me there's a total payoff. Definitely worth it. I just graduated, and despite the current economic troubles, a ton of my employed classmates are doing quite well.</p>

15

<p>Hey, I know I posted this a while ago, but I feel like I gave the wrong impression posting the concerns I had about pomona.</p>

<p>I didn't mean to offend anybody who lives in claremont or california. I know the people of california come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds; classifying them all as "superficial" is, as I said before, a gross generalization. We get stereotyped in the midwest, too. I know how it feels, and I should have broached the topic more delicately.</p>

<p>I was just concerned about the culture shock. From where I live to california is about 2,000 miles - that's a big move, and of course claremont would have a bit of a different feel from what I've grown up with. Again, I posed the question badly. I'm sorry.</p>

<p>Thanks to all of you, your responses were really helpful. I'm visiting Pomona in May :)</p>

16

<p>Hi runninglove, </p>

<p>Everyone's comments are accurate, so I'll just add a few words about my own experience as a non-drinker and sub-free dorm member. </p>

<p>I have a fairly packed schedule for a freshman- 4 core courses (2 science, 1 math, 1 art), 4 partial-credit courses (music and PE), and work study. So during the weekends, I really like to unwind (though usually not on Sat./Sun. before midterms), and most of the time hanging out with my friends is the best way to do it, I find.
We play board games and video games, hacky sack in the hallway, watch downloaded movies on our laptops (shhh!), play songs for each other on the piano in the lounge, play racquetball at Rains athletic center (none of us really know how to play), watch free movies at the campus theater, head up to the Coop Fountain (a cafe of sorts where you can use your meal plan "flex dollars") to play pool, watch plays and performances our friends are in, go on trips sponsored by "47 Things" (I'll be attending the Sarah Chang concert at Disney Concert Hall next week!...and only for $20...others are going on the ski-beach day. look it up!), or just crawl around the village for frozen yogurt and Thai food. Oh, and during first semester, I was able to catch some excellent jazz concerts for free by the metro station (5 minutes from the freshman dorms)...very, very cool.
(Of course, you also have the choice of attending private parties in the dorms where alcohol is served and your typical partying happens...it's really up to the individual)</p>

<p>In terms of how students dress, there are those who do take care of their appearance to a higher degree than people I've seen back home (near Seattle, where REI clothes rule supreme), but they're mostly girls who, unlike me, have a sense of fashion, and gym-loving guys. But there are many who like tees and shorts and sometimes even show up to class in PJs (and don't look out of place). For the record, my friends and I wear flip flops or sandals through sun and rain. :)</p>

<p>p.s. I'm a host for students doing overnight stays! Feel free to pm me (and contact admissions) if you're intersted in staying for a few days during your May visit. ;)</p>