I’m just sharing my ideas like everyone else. Name-calling shouldn’t be allowed.
Lots of reasons to pick Wesleyan over Stanford (and, vice versa.) Who is the better role model, Tiger Woods or Lin-Manuel Miranda? LOL.
As the moderators have said before, this isn’t a debate society. We’re all free to assert our own opinions.
For my kid, I would pick Pomona since it would fit his personality better. Most people would probably pick a great university (like Duke) over a great LAC (like Pomona), but those people probably would not have applied to Pomona. Opportunities will be great at both schools.
Opinions yes but erroneous statements no.
Students at Duke don’t “compete for limited resources”. If you have ever visited or researched Duke you will be aware of the enormity and variety of opportunities available to students. The Focus program, Duke engage, Mellissa and Doug Entrepepeneurs, Duke Lemur Center or the dozens of other programs all offer unique experiences for Duke students.
Using terms like “no brainer” is a passive aggressive way of diminishing those that don’t share your view.
Both great options. My advice to the OP, try and enjoy the decision process as it affords you a chance to be introspective and follow your heart. You can’t go wrong.
I did some research. On April 2nd, you posted on Stanford vs. Duke, probably thinking you wouldn’t seriously consider Pomona or Swarthmore (a previous topic, before Duke/Stanford results came out) by that point. I am assuming you just got back from Pomona’s admitted students program this past weekend, and fell in love with it- now you’re finding yourself confused.
The benefits of a top 10 U.S. university are unmistakable. I agree with others that Duke will open more doors internationally, that it’s highly regarded by graduate schools and employers, and that it has cutting edge research facilities and course selection well above what a small, teaching focused LAC does (even with the added riches of the 5Cs). I am myself puzzled by some of the remarks made about Duke; they are inaccurate.
That said, Pomona has a lot of heart to it. It’s a place where every single professor will be a personal friend, as will be those with whom you never take a class. As an undergraduate only school, the amount of individual attention and resources students have access to is exceptional. Your classmates are deeply invested in your growth, and the diversity feels genuine rather than being stratified across Greek life, athletics, differing schools, or whatnot. The academic culture is deep and meaningful; collaboration is actively encouraged, and you are constantly learning outside of the classroom. I feel like I had a connection with almost every single person in my class. The college president and Dean of Students take the time to know each student personally. To illustrate the depth of how close we are, I was part of the low-income and first-gen community and we were competing as the final four schools for a grand prize $25,000 student organization award. The winner would solely be determined by the number of Facebook votes. Our competition were from the much larger Boston College, Yale, and Harvard. At our request, the Dean of Students sent out an email to the entire student body, and once that happened, so many in the community (most who were not low-income) rallied for us. You would open your Facebook feed and see it full of your peers asking their friends to vote for the Quest chapter. People posted in their hometowns and high school pages. We won by a landslide. That to me is genuine school spirit, one that is guided by an appreciation of every student and community- even those who are traditionally under-served.
In the viewbook (http://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/view-book.pdf), there’s a perspective from Rory Taylor (page 3). His blurb begins: “Pomona was not Rory Taylor’s expected destination. “There was not a lot going on for Native students at the time,” Rory recalls, “I could have gone to a school with a large Native population where I could continue watering the beautiful flower that was already growing. Here, I could come and plant a seed.”” I know Rory personally- he was deciding between some of the nation’s top universities (one which has the highest % of Native Americans of any of them) and Pomona. His perspective is one that is not commonly appreciated. Pomona actively seeks out stories and passion which will transform the narrative of the school and produce students who are conscious about lasting social empowerment. So much trust gets placed on the undergraduates to drive change. Going beyond the status quo is encouraged.
You can go to Duke and Stanford for graduate school. That door hasn’t yet closed. It’s not an easy path, but the Pomona experiences can definitely shape you to be a strong candidate in case you desire a high-brand name education. Pomona’s undergrad experience is once-in-a-lifetime.
It should also be emphasized that Pomona is in no shortage of opportunities or things to do. I know when your usual LAC vs. university comparison is done, many point out the quantitative differences. Often, LACs are criticized for being in lackluster areas. At some of them, that is something to consider. Pomona is different though- in addition to its distinctive character as a LAC, you get access to 2700 courses across the bordering colleges, a student body and social scene of 6000 undergraduates, and the dynamic energy of the Southern California region in which the college funds internships, cultural events, outdoor events, and more. I have never felt limited at Pomona- quite the opposite. I was usually overwhelmed and had lists of 50 or so courses I wanted to take in a given semester, finding some way to narrow it to 4-5. At some point, the added quantitative differences mean less and less since you only take ~32-50 total courses in undergrad. If you’re highly specialized or want to do some unique research during the school year not seen elsewhere, I understand the appeal of Duke and Stanford. If you want a well-rounded education and are interested in exploring, Pomona will set you up well. Despite not being a research university, Pomona has a highly robust research program, and you’re mentored exclusively by professors who closely examine the work you do to become a distinctive academic. Duke mentions 50% of their undergrads do research, while Pomona mentions 53%.
Looking at it more objectively, here are the facts. The retention rate is among the highest of any school at all 3 (97-98%). According to the CDS, their entering class stats (testing & class rank) rival one another. Pomona has a higher percent of URMs, Pell Grant students, and first-gen students than the other two. Stanford has the 4th highest endowment per student in the country. Pomona is 5th. They have double that of Duke. Pomona and Duke have comparable yields of about 53%. Stanford is much higher at 82%. All three have single digit acceptance rates. The salary data was previously mentioned. Forbes ranked all 3 in the top 10 based on its outcome based criteria. These are three high quality schools.
Obviously, I am biased. I love, love, love Pomona. I don’t think I will ever be in a space as simultaneously open-minded and nurturing, yet rigorous and immersive, ever again (unless I somehow become a professor teaching at a LAC!). I applied through an early process, so Pomona was binding. I was nervous to attend- in fact, my first thread on this website was about being apprehensive to go due to the lack of name brand. As a recent graduate, I feel so fortunate and grateful for all Pomona has done for me. Best wishes with your decision- I am sure you will have a transforming, enriching experience wherever you go.
There’s lots of nonsense floating around on CC about all of the southern colleges. Most here are more familiar with the California colleges and the northeastern and midwestern schools, and it shows.
Needless to say, never having set foot on a college’s campus does not prevent some from having a self-assured opinion about the teaching quality, undergraduate focus, and resources of a college…regrettably.
<<i am="" myself="" puzzled="" by="" some="" of="" the="" remarks="" made="" about="" duke;="" they="" are="" inaccurate.="">><i am="" myself="" puzzled="" by="" some="" of="" the="" remarks="" made="" about="" duke;="" they="" are="" inaccurate.="">
Don’t be puzzled. I don’t think you went to Duke or are the expert on Duke.
One of my close friends from my high school class is a Duke graduate, actually. I know it doesn’t make me an expert on the matter (note I didn’t talk much at all about the Duke experience above), but I know enough regarding the opportunities available and the door it opens.
Preppedparent-
Your comments seem intended to be controversial at best antagonistic at worst.
What is your basis for expertise on Duke? I just finished a 3 day tour where I met with 12 administrators, deans, faculty members and students.
Your screen name suggest you are an adult. Consequently you should understand the importance of offering informed opinions when talking to HS stidents. I would respectfully ask for you to provide the context for your knowledge base.
Btw, I am a little suspect about the OP. A similar thread was started with Pomona vs Stanford and the wording of this OP was exactly the same with the substitution of Duke for Stanford. OP, please respond.
Sorry, I see this^ was covered to some extent in a previous post. I’d still be very interested in a response from the OP.
I’m actually from California but I lived in NC for a bit as well.
I would have never expected such a heartfelt and honest response. Thank you so much for your words. I am absolutely out of words. You’re right. I was so happy when I got into Pomona (just a gut feeling I guess). Then, I got into Stanford and Duke and freaked because oh my god these schools are impossible. But then I visited Pomona and fell in love with the people. I still have to visit Stanford (I don’t think I will visit Duke in the end because I think I want to stay in California. Closer to home and a far more liberal state [even if Durham is very liberal]). However, I’m really, totally enamored with Pomona.
the above comment was obviously directed towards @nostalgicwisdom
@CHD2013 you are not wrong i used the exact same wording in both posts. i am caught between three options. pomona, duke, and stanford. stanford and duke both seem like the “no brainer” choices everyone keeps mentioning so i made posts about both of them against pomona. does that clear it up? i didn’t think i was doing anything wrong.
^^^You should have mentioned that you were accepted to Stanford as well in your initial post.
Oh my. Great OP and thread peppered with some unfortunate categorical statements on both ends of the spectrum.
There is much to be valued at each school. It’s unfortunate that some have to bash one school to make a point about the other.
Of these choices, go to the one you like. You won’t regret it. It’s that simple.
And beware of “no brainer” advice. Duke and Stanford are obvious great choices. As are Pomona and Wesleyan, the latter of which took a little gratuitous beating here even though the OP didn’t mention it.
I mean, is anyone seriously worries about the employment prospects with these three schools? Throwing out aggregate salary stats?