I was fortunate enough to have gotten into Penn’s CAS as well as Pomona College. I’m planning on majoring in Political Science or something in the realm of the social sciences. Obviously Penn has more name-recognition, but I’m a bit concerned about the stereotypes of it being super anti-intellectual and more pre-professional, its supposed state-school size/culture/fratty atmosphere, as well as Wharton apparently overshadowing all other academics at Penn (e.g. will CAS have less funding/disgruntled students who just want to transfer into Wharton?). Should this be a major concern of mine or am I overblowing it?
At the same time, Pomona may be a bit too small for me (esp. in terms of surroundings - Claremont isn’t Philly) and may not have the same level of academic opportunity a big-name Ivy League school may provide. If anyone can give any insight into what I’ve brought up (or anything else you’d like to add) I would be super grateful!
P.S. The cost is the same for both, so that’s a non-issue.
Hey! Pomona freshman here, I can’t really speak to Penn, but I can speak to my experience at Pomona so far. For me, Pomona’s geographical location has been perfect. Claremont is just the right size to have everything you need on a day to day basis, and LA is close enough for weekend excursions. At the same time, the outdoors is SO accessible, with Mt. Baldy being very close by as well as trips going out to Big Bear, Joshua Tree and various beaches happening very often.
I’m not sure what you mean by “level of academic opportunity,” but I would say that the education you will receive at Pomona is on par, if not maybe better than that of a big-name school. The attention and support you receive here is simply unparalleled. I have a close friend at Penn, who has told me about her academic lifestyle there and I would have to say I prefer that of Pomona’s from what I have heard from her. The relationships you can build with your professors is really just amazingly unique at Pomona. For example, every single one of my professors knows me by name, and I’ve had professors who have personally emailed me to check in when I’ve been sick, scheduled private appointments when I’ve been unable to make office hours, and asked a classmate and I to lunch, just to learn more about us. The professors very much care about you and your education. (Not to mention, we don’t have TA’s teaching)
Furthermore, Pomona students can take classes at any of the 5C’s which really increases the variety of classes available. As well, Pomona has a ridiculously large endowment that’s completely for undergrad students, which is unlike most big-name schools.
Again, I don’t really know what you mean by “level of academic opportunity,” but I’d say your biggest decision is more about what you want in a school in terms of geographical location and vibe. I hope this helps!