<p>I'm considering to apply ED to a liberal arts college but I'm torn between Williams and Pomona. I'm from Singapore so I've not had the chance to visit both schools but "fit" aside, do you think it wise to choose Pomona over Williams just because I'm will adapt much better to the Californian weather?</p>
<p>i.e., Is the difference in grad school/employer reputation and academics so minute that I should make my decision based on other relatively trivial factors?</p>
<p>I'm really trying to aim high because small LACs don't exactly have a great reputation here in Singapore and Asia overall.</p>
<p>The standard answer about ED is “don’t do it unless there are no doubts about which is your first choice school.” If the two really are interchangeable for you, and you have the money to afford both, I guess the next best question is to see which gets a bigger bump from ED.</p>
<p>For non-ED questions, the standard answer at this point is “apply to both and worry about which to attend when you’ve been accepted to both.” </p>
<p>I think weather is an important difference between the two schools. If you do not like snow and cold, Pomona is a better fit. Another big difference between the schools is that Williams is really isolated, while Pomona is part of an active consortium. Pomona has access to 5000 undergraduates as part of the Claremont colleges. Williams has great school spirit. There are lots threads on the differences between these two schools. It doesn’t just come down to weather.</p>
<p>Very different student types and overall orientation. Williams a Wall Street and pro careers feeder. Pomona more for academics and liberal artsy types.</p>
<p>I live in the tropics too so I know what you mean about the weather, but I wouldn’t put fear of winter at the top of your reasons. Other kids adapt; you will too. If you intend to stay in the States (or Europe) for graduate school or work chances are that you’ll have to come to grips with all four seasons sooner or later.</p>
<p>To me, the biggest point of differentiation is the environment – Williamstown is a mountain village – isolated and insulated. Pomona is a suburban enclave in a mega-city – and part of a consortium.</p>
<p>Another consideration is where you intend to work post-graduation. Not surprisingly, Pomona is better known on the west coast, Williams on the east. If you plan to eventually settle in Asia it doesn’t much matter: most people have never heard of either.</p>
<p>I would tend to disagree with barrons’ assessment. I would say that the overall personality of students at both colleges is indistinguishable. Liberal but tolerant. Both produce a fair number of academics and business-types. I’d give Williams the edge on the arts, though neither is especially “artsy.”</p>
<p>The art is only that group going into the art history admin and business aspects</p>
<p>In a 2004 survey by the Wall Street Journal, Williams College was ranked as the 5th largest feeder school to elite law, business, and medical schools in America, behind Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and Stanford University</p>
<p>For Ibanking Williams and Amherst are tops among lacs with large WS numbers. Pomona is higher ranked for sending people on to get PhDs.</p>
I don’t argue that Williams “feeds” plenty of professional schools, whether business, law medicine or architecture. The same is true of Pomona.</p>
<p>For Williams, though, it’s not a either/or situation as many Williams grads pursue academic paths both in the sciences and in humanities.</p>
<p>Williams’ art history department has provided quite a few museum directors, but many of those came up through the curatorial ranks and have PhDs or other arts related degrees themselves. The combined art studio and art history department is a powerhouse that you don’t find at many other LACs, including Pomona. I believe the same could be true of music.</p>
<p>Since the reputation of the college is an issue for you the short answer in apply to neither. Apply to schools that satisfy the reputation angle.</p>
<p>Thanks for the invaluable information! I have yet to fix on a career path already but I’m a Math/Science person and my main goal is to explore my academic interests in college. </p>
<p>@fogcity</p>
<p>My academic stats’ aren’t that good for the really reputable universities especially for a Singaporean because there are so many applicants from my country each year. I think my geographic location and unique ECs can really boost my chances at a small LAC with relatively few international applicants.</p>
<p>I’d caution you against viewing Williams and Pomona as better bets than “really reputable universities”. These schools get applicants who are Ivy League calibre, including many international applicants.</p>
<p>Williams gets close to 1500 international applications each year, among a total of a bit over 7000 applicants. That would make about 21 percent of Williams applicants international students, yet only 6 percent of Williams students are internationals. It could be that Williams’ yield is lower among international students but I can’t imagine it could be low enough to account for more than a small part of the disparity between applications and acceptances.</p>
<p>Hi Sue! My school is really known for sending graduates to top universities. For the class of 2012, 53 went to Cambridge, 39 to Oxford and 24 went to an Ivy League School. Plus most of the guys are conscripted so the numbers could easily increase over the next few years.</p>
<p>Unless I apply to a lesser known college, I would be competing with many strong applicants from the same school and that would significantly hurt my chances. The college admission team in my school also mentioned that small LACs are significantly less popular even when compared to their small student populations. So I guess my chances would still be boosted somehow. :/</p>
<p>IMO selecting a college is about personal choice and fit. If weather is a huge deal to you, then it should be a consideration in your decision as to where to apply.</p>