<p>I was recently offered an admission to both schools and am having trouble deciding where I want to go for undergraduate education. Here are some background info of mine. I am planning to major in Biology and hope to go to med school. Personally I prefer warm weather, but then again I've been living in Columbus for a while so it doesn't make a whole lot of difference. I love the tutorial and Oxford exchange programs in Williams, yet I will be living farther away from my parents who are planning to move to California. Do you guys think Williams education is worth the cold weather and plane rides? Thanks for the input...</p>
<p>I’m obviously somewhat biased since I applied EDII to Pomona, but I did also apply to Williams. That said…</p>
<p>Pomona and Williams are peer institutions. Williams has tutorials, Pomona does not. Pomona is part of a consortium, Williams is not. Both provide - in my opinion - one of THE best undergrad educations you can get. Both are insanely well-respected…by those who have heard of them.</p>
<p>In other words, it comes down to fit. For me, the laid-back atmosphere, warm weather, and consortium (with its academic and social benefits) sold me on Pomona. The cold, ruralness, and emphasis on athletics turned me off of Williams.</p>
<p>I live on the same end of the country as you do now. Being so far from home was one of the only negatives about Pomona for me…obviously you wouldn’t have that problem.</p>
<p>It sounds like you would love Pomona, but it’s totally an individual choice. Visit both for sure!</p>
<p>Anyone else have input on this please? I completely feel ya OP, I was also accepted at both and I think I’ll have a hard time deciding. :/</p>
<p>I’d pick Pomona because of the weather, but that’s my AZ bias kicking in :P</p>
<p>For me, I have to choose between schools like Columbia and Pomona. Columbia has NYC, the Core, and imo is less “insulated” than a LAC…on the other hand, I don’t doubt that I’d get a better education at Pomona. ugh.</p>
<p>I know a lot of people who went to Williams, and they enjoy living in the small community. I feel that you’re more of a city person, though. Pomona’s dorms are extremely nice, has excellent programs, and is located in the best location: sunny CA! Btw, my opinion is not biased since I have no intentions of attending either. Williams is the #1 LAC with Amherst, so I’m sure it has a lot to offer. I know someone who gave up an Ivy for Williams. In fact, a lot of people who choose to attend Williams are usually satisfied and happy, but again, they don’t mind the rural (correct me if I’m wrong) and small area. However, because you say you’re going to major in bio and prefer the warmth, I feel that Pomona is a better match for you. Have you visited the campuses? I think you should. =]</p>
<p>Yeah, Williams is the definition of rural. The college IS the town. There is one “main street” with some shops and restaurants and that is absolutely it. The mountains, etc are beautiful though (I visited).</p>
<p>At Pomona, though the town isn’t exactly a big draw, Claremont does have more stuff (including American Apparel - favorite store!). Plus everything you could ever ask for is within a few hour radius - a major city (for stores, nightlife, concerts, internships), gorgeous mountains (visible from campus on clear days), and the beach (look up Ski-Beach day!). Plus you’ve got Joshua Tree and Yosemite.</p>
<p>Okay, while I’m on a roll, Pomona also has…
Snack every night
On the Loose
Death by Chocolate
Puppies before finals
Fountaining</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I think you forgot a free bear for anyone over 21!!
Anyway, as much as my heart points toward Pomona, I am having a hard time giving up Williams. I do feel that Williams would give me a slight edge when I am applying for graduate school, (from wall state journal ranking) and I don’t particularly mind the isolation since I am a bit quiet. I also heard somewhere that smog is a big problem in Pomona, so fresh air in Williams would be pretty nice I guess. Without a car, I heard it is difficult to get to LA from Pomona, so there is another potential problem. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>i live in the claremont area. im like five minutes away from the colleges. its easy to get to LA from pomona if you dont mind not having a car with you. my friends and i take the claremont metro into la & from there you can ride the metro throughout different places in la. if your parents are planning to move to california would you have a car? parking is easy to find in that area. plus downtown claremont (both new & old part) is amazing. i spend a lot of weekends down there 
plus my high school’s valedictorian from last year goes there now and he really likes it.</p>
<p>Are you going to be able to go to admitted students days? It really is helpful in deciding. My daughter didn’t think she would be going to Pomona but then LOVED her visit. Can you take a parent for comparing impressions?</p>
<p>Grad school wise - I think they are the same. Not really much of a difference in the content at these top LACs. I do know that her bio advising has been excellent and the prof really has her best interest at heart.</p>
<p>I don’t think I can go to admitted students days. My family is going through a difficult financial crisis, so I can’t afford to buy a plane ticket. I really have to decide through guesswork, which is making it so much more difficult for me.</p>
<p>Pomona over Williams for me. Pomona is the more diverse school and in a more diverse setting. You get the small college but with the opportunities of a big college because of the Claremont Consortium. </p>
<p>I visited both schools on admit days etc (during October through Questbridge) and yeah, the air at Williams is really great compared to LA because it’s in the mountains and has that … I don’t know how you’d describe it … woodsy smell (I live in a big city so it was pretty special) I was surprised when the air at Pomona wasn’t bad either. There actually wasn’t any smog at all. Besides, Claremont was voted one of the top places to live (I think it was fifth or third) by…oh no I forgot who it might have been Money Magazine. </p>
<p>It was really cold and windy when I visited Williams. It was all sunny and warm (but rather cold at night since it’s close to the mountains) at Pomona and I liked it. </p>
<p>Yeah, Williams is ranked #1. But you should go to a school you feel more comfortable at. </p>
<p>I know what you mean! Pomona is close to home which is a huge plus, but honestly I love love love U of Chicago. But Pomona offers more fin aid. Grr. I don’t know what to do. :</p>
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<p>Haha, free bears! Definitely a huge draw. Free beer, too. ;)</p>
<p>P.S. This article (<a href=“http://www.collegenews.org/prebuilt/daedalus/cech_article.pdf[/url]”>www.collegenews.org/prebuilt/daedalus/cech_article.pdf</a>) shows that 10% of Pomona grads get PhDs, versus 8% of Williams grads. The data is >10 years old, but I would guess that the rates for the two schools are still comparable, with perhaps a slight edge for Pomona.</p>
<p>“I do feel that Williams would give me a slight edge when I am applying for graduate school”</p>
<p>No. Both great schools respected by graduate programs. Not a factor.</p>
<p>“I also heard somewhere that smog is a big problem in Pomona”</p>
<p>Much better than in past. Mostly in the summer. Don’t worry about this but do consider lots of sunshine and warmth in a fairly boring but benign suburban setting - students (and I) would not call Claremont amazing (P) vs. clear air, pretty woods, rolling hills, yes cold and snow, and the good and bad of geographic isolation (W).</p>
<p>“My family is going through a difficult financial crisis, so I can’t afford to buy a plane ticket”</p>
<p>Obvious edge to Pomona (but you haven’t mentioned FA).</p>
<p>“Without a car, I heard it is difficult to get to LA from Pomona”</p>
<p>Absolutely. Few kids in the 5 colleges head in to LA by public transport - major pain (and yes, this is LA).</p>
<p>Actually, it’s super easy to get to LA without a car. My sister lives in LA, and i’ve visited her on multiple occasions using the train (metro-link). I live on the South Campus and the train station is literally ~1-2 minutes walk from my dorm, tops. The train ride is like 50 minutes to LA union station. If you want to go anywhere but LA though, you’re probably at a loss when it comes to transportation, though we do have zipcar on campus.</p>
<p>Both schools are clearly fantastic–congrats! Here are a few things I can tell you about Pomona.</p>
<p>First, Pomona may not be ranked quite as high as Williams, but it is slightly more selective, and graduate schools know this. If you go to a place like Pomona you have the advantage of being surrounded by students who were not seeking a big name, and yet also the advantage of graduate school admissions officers who are very aware of the quality of education here. </p>
<p>Second, I would argue that Pomona offers you the “quiet” you enjoy without the “isolation” at Williams. At Pomona you have options. If you’re looking for quiet, look to the clean, quaint, quiet town of Claremont, to Pomona’s small student body, or to your single (one of the greatest selling points of Pomona is the number of single rooms: 68% of rooms on campus are singles, and over 30% of freshmen live in singles). If you come to feel limited by Pomona’s town, campus, or rooms, however, look to the other schools! I love being a part of small community, but also having four other small communities literally adjacent to ours. We take full advantage of the consortium, with cross-registration for classes, all parties and dining halls open to all five schools, and many 5-college clubs/organizations.</p>
<p>Third, I hate that smog rumor! I have literally never noticed smog in my two years here. We can see the mountains clearly every day. </p>
<p>You’ll do better and, as a result, get into a better med school, if you are happy at your college. Pomona is rightfully stereotyped as having an extraordinarily happy student body. Applying early was the best decision I’ve ever made.</p>
<p>Having visited both campuses, I found Pomona’s campus to truly have that “campus feel.” William’s campus is bisected by Williamstown’s Main Street. Also, due to its location, Williams is more isolated from other schools, etc., than Pomona.</p>
<p>Plus, the Claremont Colleges Consortium contributes to the variety and diversity of the place. And you can’t beat the weather.</p>
<p>Both schools will offer you a good education, but the consortium will give you the opportunity to take a broader range of courses, plus meet more people, than you would at Williams.</p>
<p>thanks for the input guys. Btw, the financial aid I got from both schools were quite similar, both offering about 44,000 a year, which would leave my family stress free when I’m in college. </p>
<p>Now I’m beginning to feel that Pomona is a right place for me. The consortium and nice weather does seem more appealing to me than Williams. I will let you guys know as soon as I make my decision.</p>
<p>Coming from a pretty cold new jersey winter, the weather at pomona is definitely the first thing you notice. That easily cancels out travel time, at least. But the heart of the decision needs to be where you’re going to do better, both socially and academically.</p>
<p>A Williams stereotypical class will be more conservative and reserved than one at pomona. There was a survey taken where professors voiced dissatisfaction that students were too polite, not arguing with each other enough or speaking up with diversity of thought. This isn’t to say that Williams is a bad education - but definitely one that will usually (you can’t speak universally here) be more moderate than one at pomona. </p>
<p>Both class sizes will be small, all the kids will be smart. I’ve also heard complaints at williams that some of the higher profile sports teams, whose academic credentials are not up to the high standard of the rest of the student body, disrupt classes and fool around. This is probably pretty rare and isolated though.</p>
<p>I’d say pomona’s main advantage academically is the consortium, just way more options of classes.</p>
<p>Socially will be the main differences – the education should be pretty spectacular at both places. Williams social life (for most) is dominated by sports teams. A lot of bros playing pong and dancing. Of course this can be avoided, but it’s prominent.</p>
<p>Pomona is less bros, more nights out a week, some campus wide parties, some hanging out with friends. A more varied, diverse social scene.</p>
<p>In terms of grad schools - preposterous to assume difference. Look at pomona’s website on where grads go. Yale law, harvard med, top phd programs, oxbridge, etc. I’m sure williams is similar, but both are top of the line. The USNEWs grad school survey was flawed in that it used predominantly northeastern grad-schools, where a kid from williams is more likely to go. You telling me a kid who goes to columbia law school (included) is necessarily smarter than a kid going to stanford law (not included, but better law school) - no way. And the pomona kid is more likely to go to stanford and stay west.</p>
<p>In terms of job opps, Williams might have pomona beat if you’re set on immediately going onto wall street (will these jobs exist, or be as lucrative, in 4 years?). Still, plenty of pomona kids hired to top firms, consulting, ibanking etc. check this online</p>
<p>The last factor is the northeast prestige. In north jersey more folks have heard of williams than pomona. If that’s something that’s important to you, then Pomona probably doesn’t want you either.</p>
<p>Another consideration is the cost of traveling. Pomona is quite close to Ontario airport, and if necessary, you could also fly into LAX, whereas Williams isn’t close to a major airport so the ground transportation could add up.</p>
<p>They’re both awesome. What matters most is that you fit in and are happy. Contact admissions of both schools and ask to be put in touch with some current students (or join the facebook groups and seek out current students). Besides all of that, if prestige/name recognition matters, Williams wins. Which style of learning do you see working for you best?</p>