<p>I am taking my son to Pomona college and rice university next week. Any information or input would be appreciated. Never been there before.</p>
<p>We visited Pomona last fall and loved it. The campus is beautiful -- California stucco and tile with large trees, courtyards and fountains. The students we met were friendly, laid-back, intelligent, and had an air of confidence about them. The food was great, and we especially enjoyed the milkshakes from the cafe. Be sure to try one! Claremont village is just off campus, with many shops and a number of restaurants within walking distance.</p>
<p>Explore the library - I believe it is two buildings that have been connected over the entrance.</p>
<p>S attended a class which was just so-so, the instructor was not very interesting or inspiring, but that was just luck of the draw. S would like to return next fall for an overnight and more class visits.</p>
<p>We visited Pomona a few weeks ago. It was like visiting a resort. What a beautiful campus! Bring a book and sit by one of the fountains. If your student wants to sit in on a class, just stop by the admissions office and they will give you a list to choose from (try to avoid Fridays, there aren't as many classes offered). If possible, visit the Skyscape outdoor art/light installation during sunrise or sunset. Take the campus tour, but also try to grab a Pomona student who doen's look too busy and ask them about their experience. Everyone there was very friendly.</p>
<p>We stayed at the Doubletree on Foothill Blvd. Nothing fancy, but reasonable rates, clean and very close to campus. I've also heard good things about Casa425 HotelMake sure you walk around Claremont Village-lots of unique shops and restaurants.</p>
<p>I have been to Pomona twice, and I agree with absterdiva... what a gorgeous place! The fountains are so pretty. </p>
<p>If you are going to visit Pomona, you may want to visit some of the other Claremont Colleges since they're literally right there- Harvey Mudd if your son likes math/science/engineering, Claremont McKenna, and Pitzer (Scripps- the 5th Claremont- is all-female).</p>
<p>Wait, are you eating rice while at Pomona??? I don't quite understand your wording/question. Pomona is a good school and it rhymes with the song my Sharona which is cool.</p>
<p>LOL I meant that we are planning on visiting two colleges. Rice University and Pomona College. Yes, and I guess I could be eating rice at pomona. why not...</p>
<p>Stay overnight with one of us...</p>
<p>I just saw Pomona on Tuesday. It was gorgeous. (: Rice is pretty too, but I live close enough to it that I see it often enough. Go to an admissions presentation, I thought it was really helpful & informative.</p>
<p>Not sure if it's still offered, but the students who attend the admissions tour just before noon get lunch passes to Frary. Just eating a meal while gazing on the Orozco mural of Prometheus is a treat! Plus there's another mural by Rico Lebrun just about the entrance to Frary.</p>
<p>Be prepared for stunning views of the Spanish architecture (red-tiled roofs) framed by palm trees in the foreground and mountains (snowcapped in winter months) in the background. I love the hotdogs from the Sagehen Cafe.</p>
<p>Also, ask for the Pomona discount at the Doubletree as well as at the Sheraton Fairplex in Pomona (the town). The latter is an all-suites hotel that provides privacy b/w bdrm and livingrm.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>Asderdiva's advice is good - just sitting on campus and observing the kids gives you a good feel for the place (and makes you want to return to college life). The students are happy, but the classes are seriously challenging. The professors really get to know the students, in and out of class. For a student who enjoys the academic life, there's not a better place. Even though the work is very challenging, the atmosphere is still fun, not at all stuffy or competitive. The students really support one another. Ask about the sponsor group program and the orientation adventures -- they help students get settled in. The college really promotes a sense of community. Ask about snacks at night: four or five nights a week at around 10, the students break from studying and go to the main cafeteria for snacks and conversation (included in tuition, so no extra charge). Also, as a parent, I can tell you that they take great care of the kids, giving them freedom but also great support. Email me if you have specific questions about my son's experience. He could not be happier.
If you don't know the history of Pomona and how it was developed on the Oxford model, ask about that; it helps explain the whole consortium concept.
Also, son visited Rice, which is a totally different kind of school and culture. If the culture of living on campus is important to your son, note that Rice doesn't have sufficient dorm rooms to accomodate all students for four years. Rice is obviously a great school, but very different from Pomona; after visiting, son would not apply. It just wasn't what he wanted. (If your son is interested in Rice for math/sciences, you may want to visit Harvey Mudd when you visit Pomona. Pomona is strong in all areas, but math/science is Mudd's specialty.)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info. I feel like I am already there. If I fly into Ontario airport, can I just get a cab to the university and not have a car? Which hotels are at a walking distance from campus? And is there public transportation to los angeles?</p>
<p>You can take a cab from the airport to the Claremonts. Casa 425 is an easy walk from Pomona; Doubletree is about a 20-minute walk from the south end of campus, depending on how fast you walk.</p>
<p>The Metro Gold Line will take you from Claremont Village to Union Station in LA, but you'll need an extensive bus map to get around LA. LA was designed more for car travelers rather than for folks taking mass transit. It can be done but with lots of prep.</p>
<p>thanks. that helps.</p>
<p>Supershuttle is also an easy and relatively affordable way to get from the Ontario airport to campus. Probably the easier option if you're traveling alone (i.e. not splitting cab fare), but I don't know if the cost difference would really be that dramatic.</p>
<p>If necessary, Admissions will be able to recommend hotels.</p>