<p>debakianmj: congrats on being accepted at two fine institutions, and thanks for reading my blog.</p>
<p>I don’t think you can make a bad decision in this case, but as long as I’m here I thought I’d throw in my two cents. First, I’ll say that I’m an unabashed supporter of liberal arts colleges. I’ve attended and interacted with students and faculty from both liberal arts and research universities and there’s zero doubt that the former focus far more on teaching, interacting with undergraduate students, and building a community on campus. Faculty at research-intensive universities earn tenure almost solely based on their research productivity and grant dollars brought in – which has very little impact on undergraduate students – while faculty at LACs must be good teachers in order to earn tenure.</p>
<p>That said, I think there are advantages to both institutions in your case. Here’s how I see it:</p>
<p>Pick Pomona or another liberal arts college if you want to be exposed to passionate faculty devoted to teaching you and other undergraduate students and building community on campus, students highly engaged in that community and what happens in the classroom, and if your goal is to further your learning and thinking skills in anticipation of graduate school or any number of fields.</p>
<p>Pick Stanford or another prestigious research university if you want to have a major name brand on your resume when you hit the job market after graduation, if you want to go to big-time athletic events, if you want to find your own way and choose from a gazillion different opportunities, or if there’s a very specific vocational interest you have (e.g. working with a particular technology).</p>
<p>One can be happy, engaged, and productive or miserable, lazy, and skating by on any campus in the country – so pick the one that you think best suits you rather than the one you think will do the most <em>for</em> you.</p>
<p>The endowment does not just support faculty costs, but helps to construct new buildings, support fellowships, establish new programs like study abroad and research centers, etc. A LAC isn’t large enough for these to be cost-effective given their endowment; most things that an endowment can pay for do not scale up so simply. For the record, the ‘economies of scale’ problem with LAC endowments is a completely uncontested fact in higher education.</p>
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<p>You make it seem like this isn’t true of the elite private universities…</p>
<p>re: economies of scale: I’m well aware that expenses beyond faculty exist, but I don’t see any reason for an LAC to need more buildings, fellowships, or study abroad slots per student. I’d think where they’d lose out would be the ability to build big-ticket items like research centers, gyms, observatories, labs, nobel laureates, etc. But those still have to be shared by more students at a larger school and many would be aimed more at benefiting faculty and grad students than undergrads anyway.</p>
<p>re: elite research universities: yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Liberal arts faculty I’ve met are primarily concerned with their teaching and their school while research faculty I’ve met are primarily concerned with their research. A good scholar who is a poor teacher will almost always earn tenure at a research school, but almost never will at a liberal arts college.</p>
<p>I just attended Pomona’s Weekend program and had the best 4 days of my life. After much consideration I have come to realize that I love Pomona’s atmosphere much more than Stanford’s. The friendliness, the sense of community, professor accessibility, and overall focus on the undergraduates were simply more apparent to me at Pomona than at Stanford, and I would easily prioritize all those over the big name Stanford carries. I took classes at both school and felt Pomona had both the smaller and better classes, and Pomona’s facilities, residential life, and opportunities within the campus are just as good as that of Stanford. Thank you all for your input! I will be attending Pomona for my four years and couldn’t be happier with my decision to do so :)</p>
<p>Congratulations, debakianmj! Pomona is a remarkable school, very unique in its combination of high-caliber students, warm community and attentive faculty. I think you’re going to have a fantastic education over your four years in Claremont, and tremendous support toward your interests in grad school. See you at the end of August! (Don’t forget to join the Pomona Class of 2016 Facebook group if you haven’t already!) :)</p>
<p>Personally, I would choose Pomona. I went to a small liberal arts college and if I had to do it again, I would. I loved the close-knit community, but you get some of the advantages of a larger college with the consortium. I loved the individualized attention from professors. I loved the feeling that I meant something within my community, instead of just being one of many. And it’s a full ride!</p>
<p>You make it seem like this isn’t true of the elite private universities…</p>
<p>In my experience, it’s not. I’m a graduate student and a TA at an Ivy and the professors are not passionate about teaching undergrads or building community; they are hired because they are passionate about their research. PhD holders seek jobs at Ivies not because they want to teach undergrads - they typically only teach one or two classes a semester - but because they want to do research and scholarship at a top research institution and get the research support that a place like Stanford or Harvard has. Not that there aren’t any good teachers, but in my experience, the people who choose to teach at schools like Pomona or Pitzer have more time and inclination to develop their teaching skills.</p>
<p>Pomona is great but let’s not be ridiculous for only 3K more and if it’s affordable go to Stanford - if the cost is an issue then by all means go to Pomona. There was a thread some time about posted by someone who turned down Harvard for Pomona - another ridiculous decision.</p>
<p>Great choice. Everyone has their own opinions based on their individual circumstances. I am glad you enjoyed the student’s weekend and now can make the decision around which climate you prefer. We visited Pomona in February and I have been to Stanford with my son a few years ago. I think both are wonderful schools and I would understand why you selected either.</p>
<p>Now that the decision is done, focus on doing your best at Pomona and getting great grades. Go for the name brand for graduate school. You will be fine. Congratulations again!</p>
<p>Congratulations, debakianmj! I think you are going to be thrilled with your decision. Pomona is a rare gem, and the opportunities at CMC, HMC, Pitzer and Scripps make the education all the more extraordinary.</p>
<p>Thanks for your encouragement you all! I will update you on Pomona and advertise such a hidden gem throughout CC so be on the look out for it =D </p>
<p>“Pomona is great but let’s not be ridiculous for only 3K more and if it’s affordable go to Stanford - if the cost is an issue then by all means go to Pomona. There was a thread some time about posted by someone who turned down Harvard for Pomona - another ridiculous decision.”</p>
<p>Fliqer, I will give you the number one reason for why I chose Pomona over Stanford. I know Stanford seems like the obvious choice but this reason was the biggest distinction between the two schools.</p>
<p>I’m a Bhutanese immigrant living with a single mother who barely makes 8K a year. We live in one of the most dangerous areas of Houston. My high school is more than an hour away, and as a result I can’t participate in most extracurricular activities that occur in high school. I’ve had a lot of problems throughout my life…depression, mood swings… I don’t feel like I’m ready for the transition to college life yet. My academic passions are completely undecided; there’s not a single class I don’t like.</p>
<p>Stanford students are proactive, intense, and highly motivated to find their resources, follow their majors, and have a good time while at it. Pomona students are more nurtured and taken care of…majors options are explored and constantly changed, the community vibe is bigger, yet just as motivated as their Stanford counterparts. In other words, if you’re set on a major, set on the path you’re wanting to pursue, and are someone who pursues your goals and interests adamantly, Stanford will be the better place. If you’re a person who has not transitioned yet from the teen–>adult life, someone who needs a foundation to prevent falling later on in the future, someone who hasn’t yet decided upon a plan for the future, and someone who needs that intimacy, community, and security to grow and develop as an individual, Pomona is the better place. I personally felt the 2nd option was what I needed before going to a tough grad program so I chose Pomona.</p>
<p>I just received Gates Millennium which will cover for grad school, so I hope to get into Stanford for graduate school =)</p>
<p>Congratulations on your decision and your reasoning. I am a Stanford grad (and the parent of a Stanford grad), and I adore Stanford. However, I am impressed by your thoughtful decision. Pomona is an excellent school and it sounds like you will be a great success in life. Keep us posted on your progress. I usually just lurk, since I am not much of a poster, but your terrific post made me want to chime in with my admiration for you.</p>
<p>Well, let Pomona be your new kingdom of happiness! An obvious reference to Bhutan.</p>
<p>You have made the choice that mattered the most to you, and that is remarkable. Fwiw, your Gates award would have made the FA entirely moot when making the choice for your UG. You might need to read the fine print on the funding for graduate school. Because of blatant abuses by the earlier awardees, Gates no longer covers all graduate school programs nor the entire cost. This said, it will be a tremendous help to finance your next five or six years.</p>
<p>PS Remember to check your transportation allowances, the cost to travel from Texas to Ontario is not what it used to be. The FA office is slow to adjust their travel numbers.</p>
<p>I used to have a friend who came from op’s country. He ranked #2 among 400 students in his graduating class in the entire country, yes, there are 400 graduating seniors each year in the entire country.</p>