<p>I really like the education at Pomona, but right now my parents are insisting on the cost of attending.</p>
<p>I didn't get aid for Pomona, so I'm looking at 55k versus about 33k for Berkeley and LA. Work-study can only cover so much, so it's going to be a really tough decision. Is a good private liberal-arts education worth the much higher cost?</p>
<p>88K over 4 years is NOT worth it - Go to Berkeley.</p>
<p>This is a very personal decision. The quality of education is no doubt higher at Pomona, but you and your parents need to balance myriad needs within the family. All of these institutions will offer you tremendous opportunities for intellectual growth and engagement. Best of luck in making your choice!</p>
<p>The decision is only “personal” as far as who is PAYING for it. Anyhow, there is absolutely NOTHING you can do at Pomona that you can’t do at Berkeley (or UCLA for that matter).</p>
<p>I’d like to read UCLABandMom’s opinion on this, as she’s a Pomona grad and one of her offspring is a UCLA grad. </p>
<p>Surely, Pomona is small and intimate; UCLA and Cal are not. </p>
<p>Pomona undoubtedly has great academic support; UCLA and Cal are essentially about independent study, sink or swim on one’s own. </p>
<p>UCLA, especially, is in a big city with lots of things going on and around campus, and Pomona is in less of an urban setting, not rural, but certainly not a big city.</p>
<p>Depends on your personality and your parents’ bank accounts, stevie13. I can’t say $88K isn’t worth it because $88K to some people would be more like $88, but these all have to be weighed together.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Okay, you asked for it. It’s an apples and oranges comparison. I made my decision to go to Pomona based on what I thought was important as a 17 year old high school student. I loved the ivy on the old buildings, the beautiful dormitories with courtyard gardens and fireplaces in the rooms, and Victorian mansions lining College Blvd. UCLA didn’t have any of that so I chose Pomona. </p>
<p>For my son, as a 17 year old high schooler he wanted to be in a college marching band at a NCAA Division I school. He also wanted to take engineering. Pomona didn’t have any of that, so he chose UCLA. </p>
<p>Bottom line is that we each chose the school where we thought we would be happiest. Considerations as to urban or suburban, public or private, and rankings were not considered. Neither was cost, because Scholarship offers to each or us evened out the costs.</p>
<p>I was a bit apprehensive when he started UCLA, because I had heard all the urban legends about large state schools having “classes taught by TA’s” and “no personal attention”, so I was delighted to see that none of that was true. My son got personal attention from his professors starting way back when he was a freshman and asked to reschedule a Physics midterm so that he could go with the marching band to attend the Cal game; his professor told him he could skip the test altogether so that he wouldn’t have to study physics while travelling with the band. 
His engineering professors have been extremely helpful in advising him, and also in arranging internships and fellowships for him. He has also gone to dinner functions at their homes, giving him just as much personal attention as I got when I attended Pomona. It’s all good. Make the decision based upon what you value the most for yourself.</p>
<p>It’s likely that the top UCLA students in science and engineering can gain more personal attention than the remaining 85%.</p>
<p>Here’s some information from a UCLA math major at a college review site (a good idea to check students’ reviews more thoroughly):</p>
<p>"Research - A ton of research opportunities exist at UCLA. What if you’re not interested in research though? How does that affect you? UCLA’s student newspaper polled over 1,000 people online. The survey was titled, “Professors: Research or Teaching.” A combined total of 71% believe that science professors (south campus), or professors in general, are too focused on their research. I.e. publishing papers can easily take priority over effective teaching.</p>
<p>Pre-med - Unless you’re a near-genius, your chances are cut in half. Seriously. Most science classes are graded on a curve. Everyone has 4.15 HS GPA’s and high SAT’s, so competition is fierce. I have so many friends who wanted to be pre-med. They were definitely smart enough to get into med school. However, a good portion didn’t. Their science GPA didn’t quite cut it, and the “UCLA name” didn’t help as much. If you go to UCSD, which has a bigger Bio program btw, your chances are better.</p>
<p>Undergraduate Engineering - The engineering school is separate from the main school, Letters & Sciences. The L&S school encompasses most of the non-engineering majors. Consequently, student resources are limited at engineering. The truth is - only half of the incoming engineering majors stick with it (I switched out of engineering). And only half of those who stick with it get a good job. A number of my friends graduated as engineers. The top half got engineering jobs while the bottom half didn’t.</p>
<p>Administration - They probably care more about the school’s reputation than about students. For example, professor evaluations are given every quarter, but the administration never agrees to publicize them. UCLA’s sister school on the other hand, UCSD, releases theirs all online (CAPE). If I had to say, I feel like the administration prioritizes: 1) Research and Image. 2) Div I Sports Program. 3) Undergrads."</p>
<p>Of course, this is not intended to take anything away from UCLA Band Mom or the experience of her son. I don’t think there’s ordinarily much individual attention from professors at UCLA, but if you’re able to be at the top of the heap academically in a highly qualified cohort, YMMV.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is pure, unmitigated bs.</p>
<p>You’re going to take one person’s anecdotal references as evidence?</p>
<p>If UCSD has a larger bio dept, then why does UCLA (or Cal) lead the nation in [apps](<a href=“https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/86042/table2.html”>https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/86042/table2.html</a>) to med school effectively every year? UCLA and Cal, do lead the nation in pure numbers in the conversion of these apps to med school also. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that the quotes you provided by this student don’t have some elements of truth – I can’t verify, but this one’s been blown up, has no basis of truth.</p>
<p>Sure, UCLA"s competitive, but competition will drive those on the lower end to greater heights, and in fact preps students to the rigors of med school.</p>
<p>Now as far as Pomona is concerned for the OP, I’m sure it does perfectly well in placing students into med school, if this is his/her intent. </p>
<p>Again, though, as I stated in another thread beware of these 80% placement figures promoted by a lot of u’s.</p>
<p>And thanks, bandmom for your reply. Your statements undoubtedly have to relate to the subject at hand.</p>
<p>Personally, I loved my SLAC experience and would choose it again, if I could afford it. But I wouldn’t have paid $55K a year for it.</p>
<p>The financial differential makes any discussion about Pomona moot. You just can’t afford it unless you are foolish or you have a large savings account. You have viable alternatives. Too bad you didn’t apply to LAC’s that would have given merit if that type of school is the preference.</p>
<p>Sounds like your parents have already decided where you are going. Too bad they didn’t tell you before you applied that you wouldn’t be attending if you got into Pomona, since presumably they and you knew you didn’t qualify for financial aid.</p>
<p>I love Pomona and will be attending this fall, but even I must say I don’t believe the education is worth the 88K. Berkeley and UCLA are pretty much paralleled in academic quality but have very different student bodies…where do you think you’ll fit in more?</p>