Pomona vs. CMC

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pomona College
1

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I'm a rising senior and I'm considering applying to Claremont McKenna and/or Pomona. My list of schools to apply to is very, very long, and I would like to only add one of the two schools if possible.</p>

<p>I'm quite extroverted and wouldn't mind parties. I love being around/interacting with a diverse (intellectually and ethnically) group of people. I'm interested in Economics, Law, Political Science, International Relations, Finance, etc. (essentially all social sciences). I don't see myself really deviating from the general field of Social Science. However, I also enjoy literature and English classes, and I often like learning theory in addition to the practical application of theory. I'm academically proficient (94 GPA, 2370 SAT, 35 ACT) and love learning in general.</p>

<p>My main questions are:</p>

<ol>
<li>Is CMC more homogenous ethnically than Pomona?</li>
<li>Is CMC extremely pragmatic in its focus? Although I would like to have sale-able skills after graduation, I don't want a technical/pre-professional education (UPenn Wharton was too pre-professional for my taste).</li>
<li>Which of the two has a better social life?</li>
<li>Where do the two schools fall on the political spectrum? I'm generally quite liberal on social issues and moderate (slightly leaning conservative) on economics. I expect that both Pomona and CMC are fairly balanced, but which is more so?</li>
</ol>

<p>It would also be great if you all could tell me a little bit about the commute to Los Angeles from Claremont.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>-LW</p>

<p>PS: I'm also posting this in the Pomona forum.</p>

2

<p>1) Both have around the same number of students of color, but CMC has more Asian students while Pomona has more black and hispanic students. I do think Pomona is the more “diverse” school due to the lack of specialization, higher economic diversity, and other diversity programs, but CMC has more international students.
2) CMC is a liberal arts college with a pragmatic focus. I wouldn’t call it extremely practical. Theory work is an important part of the learning process at CMC. But the love of learning is more prevalent at Pomona,
3) They’re virtually the same due to consortium benefits, though CMC is closer to the other colleges
4) CMC = middle of the line with very few overwhelmingly liberal/conservative people, Pomona = left, but not resoundingy so like Vassar and Pitzer are. I think you’d fit in fine with your opinion about politics. CMC has a more balanced political culture and most students would be on the same perspective (mostly liberal in social issues and moderate with economic issues).</p>

<p>You sound more like a Pomona student because of your academic characteristics. Keep in mind that Pomona does have students who could very easily fit into CMC. I would encourage applying to both if at all possible, you sound like a good fit for both.</p>

3

<p>Apply to both. NW pretty much summed it up nicely for you :D</p>

4

<p>Thanks! I’ll add both to the list.</p>

5

<p>I agree with NW that you should apply to both, and definitely should visit the Claremont campus, which will give you a pretty good idea of where you will fit in best.</p>

<p>Admittedly, I’m going out on a limb by posting this on the Pomona forum, but I feel LW might be a better fit at CMC, due to your strong interest in the social sciences.
I would be reluctant to use the term ‘better’ in comparing the two colleges…Pomona is obviously a tremendous school, …but I believe CMC is more ‘unique.’ The Athenaeum is a gem. Where else, including the top research universities such as Harvard,Stanford, UC Berkeley,etc. can you join world-class speakers, with dinner, virtually every weeknight of the school year? Then, there is the myriad of research institutes ( I believe the number is around 10), most of which center around LW’s declared interests. </p>

<p>Architecturally, Pomona has the more traditional, ‘Ivy League’ look…i often hear Pomona students and/or alumni, refer to the college as ‘Amherst’ or ‘Williams’ with better weather.
CMC, on the other hand, is architecturally more functional, and modern looking. The new Kravis Center (built at a cost of $250 million ?), and the Roberts Pavilion (scheduled for completion next year), are very impressive additions… </p>

<p>Re LW’s question about the bent of the students, I agree with Nostalgic Wisdom that CMC students are generally more balanced, still leaning left but not overwhelmingly so.</p>

<p>Pomona students are more intellectually focused, sending a higher percentage of students to graduate / PhD programs. But,CMC students are generally more focused on ‘leadership’ traits, which is a factor actually looked for in the admissions process, as evidenced by the inordinate degree of success, financial and otherwise, among its graduates ( i.e., more billionaires per capita than any other college). </p>

<p>Finally, the ‘pragmatic’ academics and heavy % of majors in Economics govt, etc is true but -in my opinion- a bit overstated, at CMC. While its been a few years (quite a few,I fear).since I attended, i recall my ‘best’ classes being literature and history…Also, its important to note that 90% of applicants to medical school are accepted to one of their 2 top choices.</p>

<p>Bottom line to LW: Apply to both,and visit the campus.
Claremont is a terrific place, and I really miss it!</p>

<p>, </p>

6

<p>Hi LW1998! NostalgicWisdom did a good job answering your questions, but I’ll offer my own interpretations to give you a second reference point.</p>

<p>Disclaimer: I’m a Pomona student, so my responses will inevitably be colored by that, but I’ve tried to be as objective as possible. Also, in order to provide a generalized sense of the schools I’ll necessarily have to invoke some stereotypes, but be aware that there are numerous exceptions to these and that none should be taken personally.</p>

<ol>
<li>By the numbers CMC is approximately as ethnically diverse as Pomona, but Pomona has much more of a focus on diversity as far as campus culture is concerned, so you’re more likely to have conversations about it over meals and such here.</li>
<li>The vibe at Pomona is more focused on “learning for the sake of learning.” This translates to a greater focus on the arts (something somewhat lacking at CMC, although I understand that it’s been getting better). CMC, meanwhile, has a very practical and career-minded focus, which means that the “college bubble” problem may apply a bit less there as far as academics are concerned.</li>
<li>CMC is much more of a party school, so if that’s your idea of fun than you may enjoy CMC more. It has a very distinct “bro” culture and is much less concerned about political correctness than the other 5C’s. There are plenty of extroverted people at Pomona, but it’s easier to avoid the party scene (and the various safety issues that come with it) here. Also, CMC has much more of an athletic culture than Pomona.</li>
<li>Pomona is very liberal on both social and economic issues. CMC is more balanced as far as economic issues go, but placed within the liberal 5C context that translates into being very conservative. Economic issues are talked about quite a bit there, so it comes across as largely apathetic on social issues by comparison.</li>
</ol>

<p>Overall, from your biography it sounds like you might be a fine fit for CMC, but you should be aware that there is a very specific type of student for which CMC will be a good fit compared to Pomona. If you read this article (<a href=“Bringing a Positive Change to Your Community”>Bringing a Positive Change to Your Community) and aren’t greatly disturbed by it, CMC will be fine for you. If you are greatly disturbed by it, I’d go for Pomona.</p>

<p>I’ll second stagalum’s suggestion of visiting the campuses if possible, since the difference in social cultures is the biggest difference between them in my opinion, and it’s something that’s rather difficult to describe.</p>

<p>Good luck in deciding and applying!</p>

7

<p>Wow. Quite the blog you linked sdkb01. My D (Pomona 2018) told me she had heard a lot of negative (at least to her negative) things about CMC and refused to apply. That pretty much sums up what she told me.</p>