Pomona Stats/Decisions Thread for the Class of 2019

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pomona College
41

[size=+2][ b]Decision: Waitlisted**[ /size]

Disclaimer: If looking at this stresses you out, get off CC and go to the library or go read a book or go watch TV or read a magazine. I’m posting this because I read through threads like this a few times and thought they were interesting, so please don’t use this to worry.

Objective:

  • [] SAT I (breakdown): 770 math, 730 critical reading, 780 English
    [    ] ACT: 35
    [] SAT II: 750 math 2, 770 literature, 790 biology M
    [    ] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
    [] Weighted 4.74 (I get bored in non-honors/AP classes and my school has very few mandatory non-honors courses, just religion and less than a year of PE required)
    [    ] Rank: technically unranked, 1/156
    [] AP: US History 5, Bio 5, Spanish Culture 3 (I had a medical thing, which I mentioned), English Language 5, World History 5
    [    ] IB (place score in parenthesis): LOL
    [] Senior Year Course Load: 5 APs and mandatory religion/PE
    [    ] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): uhhhh I have bloody tons of Speech and Debate awards, I semifinaled at States last year and only missed finals because of medical stuff. Harvard book thing, the regular testing and honors society stuff (I did it for my friends, if you’re reading this and you have a bunch of ECs you don’t enjoy, please don’t go sign up for everything that exists, it’s not worth it)

Subjective:

[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Speech and Debate (captain 11-12, chair 10), Science Club (VP 11-12, Publicist 10), Math Team (VP 11-12, Publicist 10, I know I’m so original), National Charity League, babysitting, refereeing, Youth Commission (like town council)
[] Job/Work Experience: oh oops. Babysitting, refereeing, I was a karate instructor but had to quit
[] Volunteer/Community service: average, it’s not really my thing but I do it so I can spend time with my mom and sisters
[] Intended Major: undeclared
[] Summer Activities: lots of debate camps (one at CMC), family vacations, a poetry camp (it was godawful), some other stuff I don’t remember
[] Essays: It was long and pretty rambling, but I had fun writing it. shrug My common app wasn’t great, like a 7/10, I liked my additional info essay about my illness, 8/10
[] Teacher Recommendation: English and History, they both love me (lol I think) and I have a really good relationship with my history teacher. One was probably logical and the other was probably emotional, so I got the best of both worlds. Advice: just ask who knows you best, that stuff about needing one from each department is silly
[] Counselor Rec: she said I’m really easy to write for and I think I did a really good job on the form she asked me to fill out
[] Additional Rec: uhhh n/a
[] Interview: UGH GOD IT WAS AWFUL. He started telling me his deepest fears and the horrible things that had happened to him on campus, I could tell I didn’t belong there but it was too late to withdraw my application.
[li] Supplementary Material: n/a[/li][/ul]

Other

  • [] State (if domestic applicant): CA
    Country (if international applicant):
    [    ] School Type: private, all-girls
    [] Ethnicity: white
    [    ] Gender: California gurls (I actually hate that song)
    [] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): n/a
    [    ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): uh not really

Reflection

  • [] Strengths: weirdness, debate/speech/abilities to bullshit (but Pomona does the wrong type of debate, one that I’ve never done), grades/scores don’t really matter but I guess those too
    [    ] Weaknesses: I had a 660 in Chemistry from sophomore year, which probably didn’t matter but I’ll put it anyway. I just wasn’t a good fit for the school- I could tell when I visited that it wasn’t for me, but I’d already submitted the application, so I couldn’t really do anything. People at Pomona are a very particular brand of strange that didn’t mesh well with me, and they don’t seem to be very outgoing. I like campuses where everyone says hi to one another, but lots of them seemed very closed off, an impression my tour guide encouraged when he said
    [] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I just wasn’t a good fit for the school, a decision I wholeheartedly agree with
    [    ] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: accepted: W&M (Monroe Scholar), Gonzaga (um their top scholarship, don’t remember the name), Clark (Traina Scholar), Whitman (merit aid unknown), Brandeis; WL: nowhere; rejected: nowhere (yet); deferred: Yale SCEA; waiting on: Harvard (another place I should not have applied to, even if I get in I won’t go there), Yale, Brown, Georgetown, Tufts, Wesleyan, Skidmore

**General Comments: Spending a lot of time on CC will do nothing but stress you out. Just go out and do what you love and the colleges that recognize that will be a. the colleges you’ll want to go to, because you’re not just a score to them, and b. colleges that fit your personality and genuinely like you as a person. Don’t take the SAT/ACT more than twice in total, I promise, it doesn’t matter. Don’t apply to more than two safeties. I applied to four and it’s a waste of time/money- they’re safeties for a reason (I didn’t believe my friend when she told me that, and I’m regretting it now)

Also, arrogance. Use that, because you’re awesome. If you want to succeed, it doesn’t matter which college is your trampoline to success (lol my metaphors are deep). To the future "us"s: DO NOT STRESS. Life sucks if you’re not enjoying it, so just have fun O:)
**

42

Decision: Accepted
Regular Decision

Objective:
SAT I: COMPOSITE: 2130 CR: 680 M: 720 W: 730
SAT II: Math 1: 670 Literature: 660
GPA: Our transcripts only have our weighted GPA. Mine is a 3.8
Rank: My school doesn’t rank.
AP: I did not submit any scores.
Senior Year Course Load: Honors Philosophy, AP Statistics, Physics, US Choir, Peer Leadership, Honors English, Global Studies: Indian Subcontinent (aka, the hardest freaking class for absolutely no reason, but we’re required to take a global studies, and that’s the only one that fit into my schedule!)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Achievement Scholar; African American Scholarship to the Oxbridge Program: The New York College Expereince; The rest of my awards are from athletics… I was state mvp for volleyball my junior year, all state, etc.

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Varsity Volleyball (since the 7th grade; Captain this year); Club Volleyball; Indoor Track; Outdoor Track; Upper School Choir; PEP Committee
Job/Work Experience: I didn’t list any on my app.
Volunteer/Community Service: Relay For Life it’s a program for cancer
Summer Activities:New Jazz School; Oxbridge Academic Program: The New York College Experience (I was named a program ambassador, and I also got that scholarship to attend)
Essays: My common app essay was pretty legit. Probably one of the best essays I’ve ever written. My supplement was kind of iffy, but I guess it didn’t count too much against me.
Teacher Recommendations: I haven’t read them, but those teachers definitely like me and I’m confident that they had some good things to say.
Counselor Rec: I also haven’t read it, but ^ ditto.
Additional Rec: I didn’t submit any extra recs.
Interview: I felt great about it! It was my best interview of any of the colleges I’ve applied to. She was very nice, and we talked about a lot of genuine topics. I was very honest about my academic experiences. For instance, when she asked about books I’ve read outside of school, I actually told her I don’t have time to read anything that isn’t assigned. lolz… I told her I do keep up with news articles, because I like learning about current events… Also, we had similar high school experiences I think, so we bonded over that.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes.
Projected Concentration: I have no idea yet. I put undecided? I think. I don’t remember. hahaha Probably put econ, but that’s a joke now.
State (if domestic applicant): Louisiana
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: African American
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Not a very high one.
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection
Strengths: My honesty in my essays and interview. I met a lot of the admissions staff, and they were pretty down to earth and nice. I went to dinner at in-n-out with the admissions rep for my state, and i think the appeal to Pomona to me is how personable it is. They really tried to get to know me on my visit, and that was very cool of them. My extracurricular activities are also pretty intense, but I’m not as type A as you would expect me to be when you meet me, and I’m sure that’s pretty refreshing. I’m a genuine lover of learning, and not the kind of person that always feels the need to prove their worth, and I think that kind of fits the persona of the kind of person who chooses a liberal arts college.

Weaknesses: I was concerned about my SATII’s and my supplement essay, but obviously once you submit the app, you just have to try to relax. In the end, those things didn’t really matter.

Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: They liked my personality, probably. I think I’m also qualified academically, but not to the extent where I’d be shocked if I were to be rejected you know? I think it was the extra stuff beyond the grades and test scores that really pushed me over the edge.

Where else you are applying or have already applied: I got into Harvard early action… Just heard from Pomona, obviously, and now I’m just waiting on Yale. Decisions decisions.

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Congratulations to everyone who got accepted!!!
Some advice: I typed a ton of advice on the Harvard SCEA admissions decision thread. Hop on over to there if you’re curious.

43

**Decision: Accepted!

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):N/A
ACT: 34 (one sitting/first time I took it)
SAT II: 800 French w/ Listening, 800 World History, 730 English Lit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/29 (LOL I know)
AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis):N/A
Senior Year Course Load: 4 AP (Calc AB, APUSH, Lit, 2D Studio Art) literally every AP offered in my school, I’m also graduating with the most AP credits ever at my school
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):NONE!

Subjective:
Extracurriculars: SO MANY but most important below
Rotary Youth Exchange Student to France 2013-14
I basically moved to France for a full year and lived with host families, despite the fact I have never taken a French class, therefore knew NO French before I showed up… wound up getting 3 fluency certifications in French, German and Spanish
Job/Work Experience: been working weekends/full time during break since I was 12 most important below
Manager/Scheduling Director at Indie Movie Theater
about 20hrs a week… wrote about my passion for French cinema in one of my essays
Volunteer/Community service: again too many to list (I have over 750 recorded volunteer hours) but important below
Translator
While living abroad I became involved in a campaign to record and translate traditional Alsatian folklore, then translate works to French/English for academic publication, I basically interviewed hundreds of retirees/drank all their wine, then was able to write my essay about preserving endangered linguistic relics
Co-Founder of Organic, Native Species, Community Garden
I also wound up on the board of trustees and organizing a campaign that brought 60% of the garden’s crops directly into the school cafeteria

Director of multiple productions at my local community theatre, also have done lights/tech, costume/set, and acting
also single-handedly organized a fundraiser to ensure that youth department of theatre could survive, was on board of trustees
Summer Activities: WORK, directing @ theatre, gardening, getting shit-faced throughout European continent
Essays: SUPER risky Common App essay, about international butt jokes and teenage egotism; wrote my critical inquiry on the region (Alsace) where I lived in France
Teacher Recommendation: My history and english teachers, both have been my teachers for over 5 years, obvi we’re really close
Counselor Rec: I babysit for her all the time, have known for about 8 years now, again super close and likely very strong letter
Additional Rec: NONE
Interview: NONE
Supplementary Material: an arts supplement, I’m completing a concentration in Political Cartoon for AP Art right now, but produced a significant body of plein air impressionist oil paintings in France, so I submitted some of those too

Other
State (if domestic applicant): rocky mountain high… in COLORADO!
School Type: TINY rural school located at tree-line in the middle of the Rocky Mountains
Ethnicity: very white
Gender: F
Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): like 100,000-150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): probably the most erratic and nonsensical applicant they got this year

Reflection
Strengths: mon cher pays qui a pris une grande partie de ma coeur… FRANCE! + those fluency certifications probably helped…significant leadership in extracurriculars…unique geographic location/international experience
Weaknesses: average test scores, no grades from junior year bc of exchange
Why you think you were accepted: DIVERSITY CANDIDATE to say the least, honestly a little surprised I have been accepted to all these schools
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: ACCEPTED: CU Boulder, Colorado College, University of Denver, Barnard College, Pomona College, Swarthmore, Georgetown School of Foreign Service, Amherst, Wellesley, Brown, Columbia, Princeton (likely letters at last three)

**General Comments: **
That Cali sunshine is tempting… but its NYC (Columbia) for me baby! For future applicants—take a deep breath, and just let your passions shine through your application, everybody loves genuine interests and a sincere desire to improve your life

44

Decision: Accepted! pray emoji crying emoji

Objective:
SAT I: 2220 (only took it once); 800 CR, 770 W, 650 M
ACT: 32 (only took it once)
SAT II: 750 US History, 610 Physics
Weighted GPA: 4.15 (idk unweighted)
Rank: 27?/745? thereabouts
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (5), AP Calc AB (3), AP Physics B (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP English Literature, AP Calc BC, AP Studio Art, couple of humanities classes unique to my school’s magnet program, Office Tech (gotta fulfill that LAUSD tech requirement)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): do Telluride Association programs count? i did TASS ’13 and TASP ’14. umm AP Scholar i guess too

Subjective:
Extracurriculars:
California YMCA Model Legislature & Court / Youth & Government (11-12), got a statewide leadership position in the Board of Education program area during both years, won Best New Delegate award for my delegation in my first year
Member of the Youth Advisory Council for my local YMCA (12) - basically a group of teens creating & implementing new programs for the Y. planned out a LGBTQ+ support & education group for local youth
Co-organizer of the silent auction fundraiser for my local YMCA (11-12)
Speech and Debate Team (9-10), won a couple of awards but pretty much loathed it and quit in 11th grade lol
Women In Today’s Society Club (Co-president, 12)
GSA (12)

Job/Work Experience: junior counselor at a local summer camp in 2012

Volunteer/Community Service: in 10th grade i organized an art and music fundraiser featuring high school students for a local pediatric cancer charity, and i also organized a followup event in 11th grade. both years we raised over $1200. currently planning a third one. i’ve also done various fundraising/community service things for the YMCA, and for the counselor job only one hour out of each day was paid—the rest counted as community service

Summer Activities: aforementioned counselor job, Telluride Association Sophomore Seminar ’13, Telluride Association Summer Program ‘14

Essays:
common app essay was strong - i wrote it about simplification and clarification as radical practices in my life
pomona essay was very strong - i chose the critical inquiry prompt and planned out a three-part course about the alien as a symbol in philosophy, society, and culture. probably one of my favorite essays i’ve ever written

Teacher Recommendations: one was from my AP Lit teacher, who also taught me in 11th grade and advised a community service group project I did. the other was from my film teacher, who was also my philosophy teacher in 10th grade and my speech & debate coach from 9th-10th grade. both of them have known me for at least 2 years and really like me, and i’ve done some of my best academic work in their classes.

Counselor Rec: I go to a large (2500+ students) public school with only 4 counselors, so I didn’t really know the counselor who wrote my rec before this year, but she met with my mom a couple times before writing my rec and seems to like me a lot

Additional Rec: the director of my elementary school who’s known me & my family for over 10 years and probably had a lot of good things to say

Interview: very very good! my interviewer was a senior at pomona and we connected over our interest in activism & social justice. he seemed very impressed by TASP. i told him multiple times that pomona is my first choice.

Supplementary Material: n/a

Other
State (if domestic applicant): california
School Type: large public magnet
Ethnicity: multiracial
Gender: f
Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): 90k-110k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, maybe public school idk

Reflection
Strengths: my essays were really good, i demonstrated strong interest, and i guess i have good extracurriculars. i do a lot of community service. also tass and tasp count for a lot depending on who you talk to.

Weaknesses: test scores. i hate standardized tests and refused to take any of them more than once. also i didn’t stick to any one extracurricular for very long.

Why you think you were accepted: essays, interest/ interview, extracurriculars, service, URM. my test scores and grades met their minimum, and then i’m guessing the other stuff kicked in

Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: accepted to swarthmore, grinnell, usc, occidental, ucla, uc irvine, uc santa cruz, uc san diego; rejected from uchicago; waiting on uc berkeley, columbia, and reed

General Comments:
pomona has been my dream school for the past few years, but i knew the odds when i applied, and i really doubted i would get in. i am still kind of wondering about what factors in my application pushed me over the edge, but i’m not gonna question this awesome opportunity too much. congratulations to everyone who got in, and i hope to see (at least some of) you soon!

45

Decision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2400
ACT: Nah dawg
SAT II: 800 Literature, 800 Math II, 800 USH
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9 UW
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5s on Euro, APUSH, Microecon (self-study), Chemistry, Calculus AB/BC, Lit, taking Psych, Lang, Stats, Government this year
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, Fellowship for a leadership summit (won’t specify for privacy), AP Lit Student of the Year

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Orchestra (principal cellist @ school, all-states and regional orchs, youth orchestra, small competitions no one could verify LOL), DECA (chapter VP), school newspaper (editor-in-chief), Mock Trial, Key Club (chapter board member)
Job/Work Experience: Intern at a law firm
Volunteer/Community service: Just for Key Club
Summer Activities: Yale Young Global Scholars, research intern for a PoliSci professor @ Wellesley
Essays: Solid probably
Teacher Recommendation: One good, other okay but probably super generalized
Counselor Rec: assume it was decent but she writes for like 300 other kids at my school… so…
Additional Rec: Rec from professor I did research with, probably extraordinary
Interview: Went well :slight_smile:

State (if domestic applicant): MA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Large public, competitive
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Probably the PoliSci research thing and the professor’s rec

Reflection:
Strengths: Test scores
Weaknesses: GPA
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Luck
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted Yale SCEA, Vandy, Berks, Swat, Bowdoin, Wellesley, BU, NYU, UMass Amherst (w/$$). Waitlisted Chicago, Rice. Rejected Stanford, Northwestern. Waiting on remaining Ivies but likely letter from Penn

General Comments: Odds were stacked against me as an Asian female but I’m so, so shocked by how everything’s turned out. Excited to hear back from the rest :slight_smile:

46

Decision: Rejected

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2270 (800 CR 690 M 780 W)
ACT: 34 (34E 33M 35R 32S Essay:10)
SAT II: Biology E: 740 US History: 800 Literature: 780
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.92 UW/4.46 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Lang Comp: 5, APUSH: 5, Psychology: 5
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP European History, CP Calculus, AP Spanish, AP Lit, Honors Abnormal Psychology, Advanced Creative Writing, AP Enviro
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Ranked in top 20 in nation for marching band

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Marching Band (Color Guard): Many regional level awards, top 20 in nation and winner of Esprit de Corps award
Fencing (4 years)
Gymnastics (3 years)
Stage Crew (4 years) - co-head of lighting
Fencing Club (3 years) (Treasurer and Founding Member)
Ski Club (4 years)
Peer Mediation (4 years)
some other misc. stuff
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community service: 100-120 hours over the last three summers at a horseback riding camp for children with disabilities
Summer Activities: College class in ASL at Rutgers, Volunteering
Essays: I picked the Critical Inquiry course essay, and chose to make my course about affirmative action at the Kamehemeha Schools in Hawaii. I thought it was a cool topic, and I never asserted my opinion one way or the other, but said that it was important to take everything into account, and everyone I showed it to liked it. Also sent a version of it to UVa (where I was deferred and then Waitlisted) and Emory (where I was accepted to Oxford and waitlisted at Emory), so um, yeah, maybe not the best decision? I didn’t talk in-depth about curriculum or detail a syllabus or course outline, I really was uncertain what they were looking for with this essay. 8?/10
Common App Essay: About challenging people’s beliefs by being physically strong. It focused on my ability to do a lot of push-ups even though I’m a petite, nerdy girl. It was kind of humorous, and I spent a long time on it. Everyone who read it liked it. 9/10
Teacher Recommendation: Not sure. I picked this teacher because he saw me help out other students in his class, but it’s impossible for me to say if he wrote a lot about that in his rec.
Teacher Recommendation: I think this one was good. This teacher and I are on the same wavelength (he got the Portal reference I made in my essay!) and I gave him a bunch of supplemental material to pull from.

Counselor Rec: She likes me, but it was probably kind of bland. She has 239 other kids to worry about.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NJ
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Very large public
Ethnicity: White, but chose not to respond
Gender: F
Income Bracket: >250k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I wish

Reflection

Strengths: Test scores (except SAT Math), marching band awards
Weaknesses: Course load rigor could be better, only one substantial EC, maybe my Critical Inquiry essay wasn’t detailed enough?
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I just don’t think I contributed enough to Pomona. I’m sure they had 100 white girls interested in the humanities from the east coast, and they only needed a few of us.

Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted to Rutgers and the University of Alabama EA, accepted to WashU, Tufts, BU, William and Mary, and Oxford@Emory RD; Waitlisted at Kenyon, UVa, and Emory, American; Rejected at Pomona, CMC, Stanford, Brown, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Middlebury, and USC

General Comments:

This rejection sucked. I could really see myself at Pomona, and Claremont sounds amazing. With such a small school though, everyone has to be contributing something very unique and important, and I just don’t think I did that. Their loss. :stuck_out_tongue: Honestly though, congrats to everyone admitted, Pomona’s an amazing school, and a lot of people (including me) would love to be in your shoes.