<p>I'm having a ton of trouble choosing between Pomona and Brown and would HIGHLY appreciate any guidance. Which should I choose?</p>
<p>Pomona pros:
- weather/location
- small class size
- can run track, which i love
- teacher attention
- HUGE outdoors club, very important to me
- little pretension</p>
<p>Pomona cons:
- less name-brand recognition. will it hurt me getting a job?
- far from home
- too small? i've gone to tiny schools my whole life so don't know if i'd like a bigger environment, although i love knowing everyone.
- too intense (?)</p>
<p>Brown pros:
- well-known/respected
- better resources (?)
- can probably slack off more and get A's, AND find a job post-college more easily</p>
<p>Brown cons:
- COLD
- classes i visited were large and not that involved
- no low-commitment track
- affected, urban-outfittersy. i'm really tired of caring about how "scene" i am and got that vibe when i visited</p>
<p>By sheer pro/con numbers, I should choose Pomona. I'm pretty sure I'd like it more... But.. how big of a deal is the difference in their fame? Will I have to work harder at P for a degree that wields less power? Does this matter?</p>
<p>If you are planning to go to graduate school it doesn't matter. If you want a high-paying job on the east coast right out of college, Brown is the better for that. I wouldn't make GPA a consideration.</p>
<p>I wouldn't rule out Pomona for being too small. You can know everyone, but still have the other 4 colleges (which are literally, on the same campus) if you want to expand outward socially.</p>
<p>It sounds like you like Pomona a lot more so I say go there. Don't listen to people who say not to go to an LAC just because its an LAC. They are both very prestigious schools that are well-known by employers and grad schools which are the people that count in the long run.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind when deciding between an LAC and a university is that this is the only chance you will ever have to attend Pomona College whereas you could attend Brown University for graduate school later on.</p>
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One thing to keep in mind when deciding between an LAC and a university is that this is the only chance you will ever have to attend Pomona College whereas you could attend Brown University for graduate school later on.
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<p>People say this all the time. I think it's misguided in many cases. For instance, getting into grad school at Berkeley is almost impossible for most majors. You can't go to UCLA and say "I'll go to Cal for grad school!" because, most likely, you won't be able to get into Cal for grad school, even if you are an outstanding student. Just as an example. And not to be critical, I am making a general comment.</p>
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People say this all the time. I think it's misguided in many cases. For instance, getting into grad school at Berkeley is almost impossible for most majors. You can't go to UCLA and say "I'll go to Cal for grad school!" because, most likely, you won't be able to get into Cal for grad school, even if you are an outstanding student. Just as an example. And not to be critical, I am making a general comment.
<p>I would personally go to Brown in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>Bear in the mind the two schools are vastly different academically. Brown has no general education requirements and is completely open regarding what you courses you take; Pomona has general education requirements.</p>
<p>Small class sizes can be great, but this is a common misconception. Larger university does not translate into 400-seat classes throughout your years. Yes, the introductory courses may well be large, but your upper division courses may actually be smaller than a LAC's classes, depending on your major.</p>
<p>As for slacking off at Brown, I sincerely doubt you will be able to do so. Brown is an intellectually rigorous and outstanding academic institution. They focus on learning above all else, which is precisely why they have discarded general education requirements and the rigidity seen at most colleges and universities in this country.</p>
<p>Ultimately, it is about your goals and where you feel comfortable. I ask only that you not discount Brown's academic prowess nor the intellectual and emotional capacities of its students. You will find pretentious fools everywhere; you will not find a school like Brown anywhere else.</p>
<p>My bias: I've been to a LAC. While not a private LAC anywhere near the level of Pomona, I can tell you that they are very much overrated. Small class sizes can be both wonderful and daunting. Classroom discussions can be thought-provoking as well as time-wasters polluted by kids incapable of self-restraint. My point here is that the oft-touted characteristics of LACs are not without duality and certainly not appropriate for everyone.</p>
<p>Your lists of pros for both schools don't sound...I don't know...like they get to the heart of the matter. It's all about track and prestige and professor attention.</p>
<p>Where do you think you'll find more like-minded students? Where will you find your people? Will you be happy at Brown? Then the extra amount of work required (if such is the case) won't matter -- you'll do it happily. Will you be happy at Pomona? Then the small bump-down in prestige won't matter -- you'll make up for it by working harder at getting the opportunities you want..</p>
<p>Try on the idea of being at {Brown/Pomona}. Can you see yourself being happy there? What are you liking/loving about it?</p>
<p>While Pomona doesn't have the "open" curriculum of Brown, the distribution requirements are (almost too) easy to meet. It'd be strange to plan out a course of study that didn't include the 5 areas.</p>
<p>like some others noted here, if you are set on pursuing a career, especially in business, in East Coast, Brown is the clear choice. However, as far as getting admissions into the grad schools, neither will be the clear answer and you should choose based on fit, preference, cost, etc. (which you seem to be inclining for Pomona.)</p>
<p>These are both terrific schools, both will afford you an outstanding undergrad education and neither will seriously limit your life options, so you should go with the one that feels like the best "fit" for you personally. But post-college regional living preference might also be a consideration. </p>
<p>As good as Pomona is, it's best known on the West Coast. If you want to stay in LA or head up to the Bay Area after college, everyone will know about Pomona and its stellar academic reputation, and you'll also run into more Pomona (or other Claremont college) grads, so your alumni network will be stronger. The nameplate is just not quite as well known on the East Coast, so it won't go quite as far as Brown in that region. To some extent, the same is true in the other direction. As an Ivy, Brown has a leg up, but outside the East Coast it's one of the lesser-known Ivies; name recognition is not quite as universal as HYPS. The Brown nameplate certainly won't hurt you anywhere, but it probably helps you most on the East Coast, where the Brown alumni network is thickest. </p>
<p>I don't say this should be the decisive factor, but it is something to consider. As an academic who has taught at quality schools in the East Coast, the West Coast, and the Midwest, I follow this quite closely. Except at the HYPS level, the reputations of even very, very good schools like Brown and Pomona are still surprisingly regionally inflected, and job opportunities and alumni networks tend to follow that regional strength.</p>