<p>Just returned from a Thursday-Saturday visit to the Claremonts. Visited Pomona, Scripps, and Pitzer- (sort of "reach", "target" "safety") for my daughter. We were surprised by the segregation of the colleges; I suppose we imagined the differences between them to be more seamless than they actually are. Pomona seemed the only college to really be able to stand on it's own; the others were strong in specialized ways but not close to being a first-rate, full-service, world-class institution. We were also surprised at how every Pomona student we talked to mentioned, in one way or another, that they were superior to the other claremont colleges. This was often expressed in a subtle way, but the attitude of elitism was notable. Also, it seems that all the bathrooms are coed. Can anyone comment on this? I was surprised to hear that. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not too comfortable with the coed bathroom situation. I understand the freshman "sponsor groups" can vote on whether the bathrooms are coed or not, but the tour guide said he didn't know of anyone who actually ever voted for single-sex bathrooms.</p>
<p>My S's freshman year the bathrooms were supposedly co-ed but the guys used one the girls the other, it was quite comfortable. This year and sophomore year is usually the worst situation dorm wise it is co-ed and takes some adjusting. The students say it is like being married but you don't know your partner very well. I think as students get to be upperclassmen their is more interaction between colleges. I think each college thinks they are the best but a lot of students at the other schools applied to Pomona and didn't get in so there is some resentmeent. Not to say that some didn't pick CMC or Scripps over Pomona because that happens as well, especially with the great scholarships Scripps offers above and beyond Pomona's.CMC is rising rapidly in US News if you put stock in that and is a great college for political science, business, or psychology.My D did not like Scripps to our dismay felt it was not many students 1st choice, the girls she met wanted CMC or Pomona. The academics at Scripps are first rate and most students cross rigister a lot. With Pitzer, I think it will be a lot more impressive after being renovated. My D left the tour and crossed it off her list. Did your D spend a night on campus. That is the only true way to check fit according to both my S and D</p>
<p>As far as the dorms/bathrooms, I think coed is pretty much the standard these days at most schools. Not known it to be much of an issue, although it can take some getting used to for many. All things considered, I think the dorms at the various Claremont schools are about as good as college dorms get.</p>
<p>As to the other impressions/issues you mentioned: the 5 schools at Claremont are certainly separate institutions even though so much is shared. Any rivalry, as such, seems typically between Claremont McKenna and Pomona and usually (overtly) more from the Claremont side of the equation and sometimes a certain resentment seems to be present from the Claremont perspective but not to a level that it is really an issue of any concern. I don't think that the Pitzer, Scripps or Mudd students feed in to any aspect of a rivalry between the schools. </p>
<p>I can see where a perception of smugness, perhaps, might come from Pomona, although I don't see it rising to a level of elitism as it is a pretty down to earth bunch there for the most part. In this regard, I think the attitude you perceived might be more of a certain confidence. There used to be a shirt worn around campus that said Pomona on the front and "That's ok, we never heard of you either" on the back. It always struck me as somewhat of a definitive comment about the school and its students that they were sure of themselves and did not need to impress nor be impressed. Again, perhaps a sort of smugness I guess.</p>
<p>At the bottomline though, I have found students, faculty, staff etc. at Pomona (and really at all the Claremont schools) to be among the friendliest and most helpful people you could encounter. My impression is that cooperation and support are paramount at Pomona (as well as the other schools) and that competition within the school or as to the other colleges is kept to an absolute minimum. I think Claremont Mckenna might be a little more competitive atmosphere but not at all negatively so and, again, not an issue that reaches a level of any concern.</p>
<p>Bottomline, I'm a huge fan of all the Claremont schools and don't think you can go wrong with any of them.</p>
<p>Aren't bathrooms at home coed? This younger generation simply doesn't have hangups like we ole folks do. They obviously are not disrespecting each other, or the coed policy would be changed.</p>
<p>It is disappointing to hear that Pomona students come off as snobbish and elitist toward the other colleges on the Claremont consortium.</p>
<p>Disappointing and surprising. I am a 50 year old mom and can not believe how friendly students are to me when I walk around campus, can't fathom them not being friendly to another student</p>
<p>I just wanted to add to my previous post regarding shojomo's visit that perhaps you heard comments regarding the superiority of one school as opposed to another because those were the type of questions put forth. On a visit such as you took, such "comparison" type questions would be typical to ask and so such subjects would be addressed. </p>
<p>However, on a daily basis, I truly don't think students discuss the superiority of their school over another or that they judge fellow students based on which of the schools they attend. I suppose there is some friendly "banter" at a sports event for example (although I really haven't seen much of that at events I've attended), but in the normal course of things, I don't think such comparison discussions take place or that it is on anyone's mind, unless specifically asked.</p>
<p>I can only reiterate, and as the others above have posted, I've never been in a friendlier environment than at Pomona and the 5c's. The place really gives Disneyland a running for claiming to be the "happiest place on earth".</p>
<p>hi, i'm a pomona freshman, so i thought i could clear up some confusion. the sponsor groups pick what they want their restrooms to be, but i've never heard of any group picking boys and girls to share on purpose. 99.9% of the time there is a boys room, a girls room, and a gender neutral room. but of course you're not going to get in trouble if you use the bathroom of the opposite sex - you become so comfortable with your hallmates that nobody really cares. </p>
<p>i think a lot of the elitism perceived by people who visit pomona can be exaggerated. most of the joking we do about cmc is just friendly banter because a lot of cmc kids apply here and don't get in and then have a really big grudge against pomona. they seem to be affected by the "rivalry" a lot more than us.</p>
<p>I don't think coed bathrooms at home are analogous to a college dorm in which there is potentially significant attraction to one's peers, and an absence of incest prohibitions as in a family. And I can think of more than a few students "of the younger generation" who don't consider it a "hangup" to want greater privacy when they are showering or toileting. Some women students regard modesty as a virtue. It seems to me that MOST campuses we've visited have single-sex bathrooms. Even my older daughter's very "progressive" co-op, mostly vegetarian house at Stanford has single-sex bathrooms. None of the dorms she's lived in on Stanford campus for the past 3 years had single-sex bathrooms, even though the floors were coed. So it seemed that the students preferred it that way. </p>
<p>And just to clarify: the students at Pomona were not UNFRIENDLY; they were just not as friendly as the students we met at Scripps. Having said that, the students at Scripps were far more friendly than students we have ever met anywhere.</p>
<p>essentially the bathrooms here are single sex, but say for example that you are about to vomit on the floor, you could run into the bathroom of the opposite gender. i dont know of any reason why the boys would use the girls' restroom; it's not really a popular place to find dates, lol. i've never used a girls' bathroom, but i could if i wanted to.</p>
<p>flyguy, thanks for clarifying. The picture you present is definitely more acceptable (to me) than what was stated during our campus tour. Maybe the tour guide wished to present the situation as very "relaxed" or something like that. In any event, my daughter has now put Pomona very high on the short list, and depending on her most recent standardized test scores in Oct, may apply to Pomona ED1. She has an interest in creative writing- would you happen to know anyone at Pomona familiar with the program- it's a "minor" in the English department. Just wondering...</p>
<p>you can probably look online and find some professors, but i dont know any off the top of my head. even if creative writing is only a minor, all of the english classes are writing intensive; i think the majors here are designed to give you really good foundations, and then you can pursue your specialty later after you really understand how to write.</p>
<p>i'm also a freshman (why am i on this website and not studying for my midterm? i don't know)
about the whole bathroom issue, my hall has one male, one female and one coed bathroom. i know a lot of halls that are not officially set like that but its not really an issue. i would agree bathrooms are not the best place to find a date.
it's not very common to run into people in the bathroom most of the time anyways.</p>
<p>also, about elitism, i have found some students that are slightly elitist but i don't know if i would even like to use that term. pomona students are laid back for the most part and i would say we're probably the most rounded off school but i wouldn't use the words "better." all the claremont colleges have their specialties and are for different types of people. most "elitism" is said jokingly, and there is rarely any real animosity between pomona and the other colleges.</p>
<p>I agree with aleph4 (loser!) that elitism can definitely be found at Pomona although it should not in any way represent the Pomona College students as a whole. Most are absolutely laid back and absolutely awesome.</p>
<p>In Lyon where I live, all the bathrooms in my sponsor group are coed and I hardly find myself in the bathroom with someone else, maybeee 4/10 times. Even then, there are other bathrooms you can use right down the hall if you're THAT uncomfortable. There is NO attraction whatsoever when you're in the bathroom... the Pomona bathrooms aren't like those huge communals in larger universities, you won't be walking around in a towel in a large bathroom. Also, you share the bathroom with your sponsor group so sponcest is pretty much like incest.</p>
<p>one thing i wanted to add was that at any other highly selective school, you'll find the same amount, if not higher, of "elitism."
I've heard that Amherst and Swarthmore are worse in this respect.</p>
<p>the rivalry that exists between CMC and pomona results from sports for the most part, and should not be taken seriously. it's about school spirit.</p>