@Quiches I feel you 
I’ve done nothing for the last week because of post-submission anxiety. Hopefully, this goes away soon because there certainly are better things to do for the next month. Let’s stay strong together!
Just wondering, did any of you guys apply to POP? I didn’t apply because I felt like my background would automatically disqualify me. Do you think that would count against me?
Thanks, @enenalal for the info! I actually just got an email from Pomona saying that there is no one available to interview me (I am international). I am a bit disappointed since I would’ve loved to meet an alumnus but it won’t count against me in admissions, so I am fine.
@CassiniButterfly Nope, I honestly did not know about it until I did my campus visit. I also felt like the facts that I wasn’t a URM and I was economically privileged enough to visit campus without the program detracts from the purpose of applying to the program.
I really don’t think it will count against you. If you didn’t qualify for the program then your application just takes up the resources and time of the admissions. Absolutely no worries here!
@NebbyBag SAME! I used to think ED/EA applicants are so fortunate to only have to wait a month and a half before decisions, that’s like no time at all! I was very wrong and although it is objectively a small amount of time to wait, each day feels like a year.
I hope I am not spamming the thread here.
I am just wondering what would be you guys’ #2 choice after Pomona? (In that realistically pretty large chance of deferral/rejection). Not to induce sadness here but I am genuinely interested in knowing what would be a runner-up for an EDII or just on the RD list?
This can really help me and others to find schools that may offer similar attributes to Pomona!
For me, I am quite mixed, I am thinking Brown (no surprises here but the dining hall food is objectively inedible), Amherst, Yale and Tufts.
My daughter loves amherst but it doesn’t have ED2. Tufts does but she wants RD there. Sadly said a definite no to Brown ED. Doesn’t want any ivies. She loved wellesley and Mt holyoke but may not do ed2 anywhere.
@CassiniButterfly Isn’t POP basically Pomona’s fly-in program? There is really no point to it if you are not low-income or can’t visit the campus for whatever reason. I can tell you for sure that it won’t NEGATIVELY impact your admission (I did hear that it improved the chances for the kids who were qualified and attended. Kinda like a little leg up).
Brown is my 2nd choice as well. I was between Brown or Pomona for EDI. Providence is super nice and all…but Brown’s food and dorms and cold winters… sigh. On my list there are Brown, Princeton, CMC, Williams, Amherst (I feel like those most closely resemble Pomona). I’m also open to bigger research universities, bascially the ones in California like USC and the UC’s, although they don’t exactly have the LAC experience I’m looking for.
Honestly Pomona is the DREAM. (food, dorms, education, size, location…perfect)
@NebbyBag There seems to be a ton of cross-admits or cross-interest between Brown and Pomona, and for good reasons as well. However, I did a summer program at Brown and maybe it’s the distances-produces-beauty mindset, I never seriously considered it for ED after that. I noticed small flaws that I wouldn’t have otherwise noticed if I didn’t stay on campus during four weeks. (ie: humidity, relatively hard to get to Boston, FOOD, etc.)
I’ve also done a summer program at USC and I wasn’t a fan of the social scene (which wasn’t exactly fair since it was not during the regular school year). However, I am sure you know what you are seeking in a school and if you ever have any specific questions about USC, I have a few friends there XD.
I am tempted by Williams and other LACs, however, I think I would only apply to these with consortiums. I know I might get claustrophobic in a LAC so those with consortiums (especially within walkable distance like Pomona) are ideal.
@enenalal @NebbyBag I’m a first year at Pomona and I’m planning to be a cognitive science major! if y’all have any questions about anything feel free to reach out 
@NebbyBag @Quiches Ah, I see. Thank you.
Just out of curiosity, which supplemental essay topic did you guys write on and did you submit any art/music/science supplementals?
@Gracethecat22 That’s so kind of you to reach out 
Can you tell us about your experience for the past 2 months? What courses are you taking and what are they like? What are some unexpected things about Pomona? Hehe I can ask a million questions.
@CassiniButterfly I applied through Common App and picked the 1st prompt (superpower one). What about you?
@Quiches Wow, you seem to have done your research haha. Can you tell me more about what you didn’t like about USC’s social scene? I’m always interested in different people’s perspectives. Yeah you are right. If being in a consortium is important to you, it might be important to have a realistic check on the distance between the member schools. I know some LACs say they have a consortium but really, their campuses are sooooooooo far apart from each other that it is be a pain to take courses/socially engage between schools.
@CassiniButterfly I chose the superpower essay, it was a difficult yet super inspiring write. No supplements for me, I can casually paint but nothing I would ever submit to colleges :).
For sure! Also, I really didn’t look into any LAC until this summer so I am actually pretty late to the research game, haha (so I would appreciate suggestions).
For USC, it is entirely an individual experience in one summer program so take it with a grain of salt. I think the atmosphere is too fratty and traditionally college-partyish. I have nothing against partying with a lot of substance and having fun in your college years but I am personally not a great fit for it. I seek more laidback types of relaxation and parties with Disney movies and wine and philosophizing, I just felt like while this may very well exist at USC, it would be a bit more difficult to find this niche. While the school may be very smart, it is less intellectual than other schools I’ve looked at, especially LACs.The students are more pre-professional oriented and learning for doing’s sake. Also, as every school with an urban campus, it tends to be more outward-looking. Much of the social life can happen in LA, which detracts from the close-knit community atmosphere that I want.
I can go on about this but if you have any specific questions, I would love to answer them. There are many great attributes to USC (ex: the campus is absolutely gorgeous) and I just don’t really see myself there.
Also, with consortiums, although Amherst is in a consortium most closely resembles the 7Cs, you have to take a bus between the campuses and so far, nothing parallels the Claremont Consortium.
@Gracethecat22 I would also love to hear your experience, especially with the transition so fresh in your mind. What are some disappointments or reality-checks once you got on campus?
@Quiches @NebbyBag Me too! I thought the superpower topic was the most interesting and would be the most fun to write!
@Quiches wait, this is so cool…my second choice is Brown also!! I wish Brown had ED 2 
oh well. I rly like both schools but I’d prefer to stay in-state, so I applied Pomona ED My top choices after Pomona and Brown would be Cornell, Dartmouth, and Northwestern. oh yeah, I’m also applying to Stanford but like…it’s stanford. haha. just applying for the sake of applying…LOL Ahhhh. I wonder where we would all end up!
@enenalal Ya, a really small number of universities and mostly LACs have ED II. It would be more strategic more an applicant who like Brown and Pomona equally to apply ED to Brown and then maybe ED II at Pomona. However, Pomona stood out as a clear first choice against Brown for me, so I am totally content with my decision.
I was super into Stanford for a while as well (and I felt so guilty/self-conscious about it because of its ungodly low acceptance rate). Now looking back on it, it would be too large and a little to STEM leaning for me. I was mainly attracted to the Cali weather and the gorgeous campus, and then I discovered Pomona, which presents the perfect mix.
I hope we’d all end up at Pomona (hehe, nervous laughter).
*It would be more strategic for an applicant
*It would have been too large and a little too STEM leaning
ahhh, typing on my phone leads to lots of typos, sorry about that.
Hi, guys! I’m also an ED 1 applicant. Based off of my online research, it seems like being requested for quarter grades does not have a clear correlation with acceptance. Does anyone have any information about this? I’m nervous about my Q1 grades.
@Starbucks007 I also have stalked the previous years’ ED threads and I would love to see actual data on the people who got grade requests Vs. admitted students and if there was a correlation. Maybe we can do that this year, haha.
I think it might be some schools have quarters while others have semesters, it doesn’t make sense to me why they would request the quarter grades of a semester-based school.
Anyone to comment on this? I am also super nervous about my Q1 grades.