These are my top three schools and though I haven’t gotten the decisions yet, I would love to get some insight of the pros and cons of the schools from people who attend, applied, visited, had this same dilemma, etc. Thanks!
@kikir328 unless there is a financial benefit to attending USC or a deep personal connection to the school, I dont see why one would choose it over Pomona or Stanford. When it comes to Promona vs Stanford, both schools are top notch but in different ways so it really depends on what kind of college experience you want. Pros for Stanford are the prestige and name recognition, the access to top faculty and research opportunities, top strength in all departments and probably the (slightly) more accomplished student body. For Pomona the pros would be the smaller size, undergrad focus, close-knit community, individual attention.
I don’t think these three schools are very similar- the only factor they have in common is that they’re among the best private schools on the West Coast. I am sure folks will have varying opinions on what they prefer, but it really just boils down to what you’re looking for.
I wouldn’t be so quick to discount USC. Advantages include easy access to a major urban area (Stanford and Pomona are suburban), opportunities for merit aid up to full tuition, access to pre-professional majors like business administration and occupational therapy, and a bustling social life made possible through by far the largest undergraduate student body of the three.