<p>What do you wish you had known the February of your Senior year of High School? (Or anytime after you / your S/D were accepted, etc.) Anything at all.... Thanks!</p>
<p>Nothing in particular, other than the fact that Pomona is a fabulous place to send your son or daughter, and that they will make scores of great friends and have the best possible college experience while there.</p>
<p>I wish I knew last February how truly wonderful Pomona is and what a great experience it would be for my son- so that I did not have to do months of questioning whether applying ED was the right decision.</p>
<p>It sounds like what you’re looking for is some kind of criticism of Pomona that isn’t usually discussed, or perhaps even considered a problem. Well, I actually have one. Now, I want to preface this by saying that this is only one flaw, in MY opinion, among a dazzling host of wonderful reasons to come to Pomona. It is a truly excellent school in so many ways.
The flip side to Pomona being super relaxed and chill is that, in my experience, there isn’t much of an intellectual vibe on campus. That isn’t to say people aren’t smart, because they are, but students contain their intelligence to the classroom and their academics. By and large, people don’t just sit and talk about ideas. While there probably are some people who do this, I haven’t found them, and I don’t think there are terribly many of them. People are just interested in other things. If this isn’t much of a concern, then I would give a huge thumbs up for coming here. If this is something you will terribly miss, give thought to what your other options are. Pomona may still be the best choice, but just be aware.</p>
<p>Oh, also the sponsor group system is really cool but it makes it hard to meet people freshman year. Not impossible, just more difficult.</p>
<p>runningbear, have you tried joining some groups that would facilitate intellectual discussion? on some of the other review sites, quite a few Pomona students report a vibrant culture of intellectualism at Pomona (see below). So, I wonder if maybe your sponsor group this year didn’t lean this way?</p>
<p>I don’t think I’m allowed to mention the college review site from which I gleaned this, but here’s a sample quote:</p>
<p>“Students definitely have intellectuall conversations outside class - that is what i love about Pomona - people are so cool and smart at the same time! – Katherine”</p>
<p>@runningbear, I know exactly where you are coming from. However, I think the issue as you pointed out has more to do with the people you hang out with than the school as a whole. If you are looking for intellectual discussion, you don’t have to look far or join a club for that matter. Just find people to hang out with on occasion who are known for intense political/philosophical/etc… discussions. </p>
<p>I can’t be sure relative to other schools, but I believe that this would be the case anywhere. Also, I can’t stand pompous intellectuals. People may want to sound smart without really saying anything, and I think that Pomona actually does a better job on this account than many other places.</p>
<p>Merely my thoughts on the matter…</p>
<p>Also PM me, and we can talk sometime ;)</p>
<p>@jeancocteau - I’ve since applied for a position at the PSU and and looking for more people and communities that have more interesting things to talk about. along with what snuffles said, probably a large part of my experience is just because the people I hang out with don’t have terribly interesting conversations all that much, and so I’m looking to find people who do that more.
@snuffles - yeah I’m definitely working on that now. Taking some time though, since it isn’t easy to find those people at this point in the year.</p>
<p>@runningbear, I love intellectual discourse – about history, politics, science, philosophy. Def PM me before September! I’m looking forward to meeting a great group of friends that thrives on the meaningful exchange of ideas!</p>
<p>Ive definitely had intellectual discussions outside the classroom, all the time. And no, im not in like the philosophy niche, im an econ major at pomona
.</p>
<p>Yeah, I also disagree about the intellectual vibe. It definitely has to do with who you hang out with. Even if your friends aren’t particularly into that (and mine are, so I get it all the time), I’d find it hard to believe that anyone is starving for intellectual discourse. Pomona has daily discussions, talks, and lectures.</p>
<p>D just accepted. It’s between Pomona and UC Berkeley, but really interested in Pomona. She’s in a public high school in Orange County (very conservative/Republican area), but she is very liberal and loves politics, and feels she’s had few people to discuss politics with over her high school career. Already knows where Berkeley stands! Are politically liberal students represented in the Pomona student body? Would they be welcome in intellectual discussions with other students? I realize it is very much who you hang out with, but discourse with people of opposing views (in a mutually respectful manner, of course) is so important. As a Pomona student, can any of you share your observations? This is a really tough decision for her. Many thanks.</p>
<p>Yes, absolutely! Pomona is a very liberal school (it has been called liberal and politically correct to a fault). Maybe not so much as Berkeley, but I would say that’s a good thing, as there are plenty of varying ideologies on campus. </p>
<p>It sounds like she’ll fit right in, but it would be best if she is able to make a decision after visiting both schools.</p>