Swarthmore vs. Pomona?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I've just about wrapped up my ED application to Wellesley and am fully satisfied with both the choice and the application. Now, however, it's time to think more carefully about ED2 schools! I know a little more about Swarthmore than about Pomona but am curious to hear perspectives on both. </p>

<p>Brief introduction to me first: I'm an international student from S E Asia, studying mostly humanities subjects, with decent enough stats (2200+ SAT, 700+ SAT 2s, IB predicted score - 41/2 out of 45). Extra curriculars mostly focused around debating (On national squad, represented country in 2 tournaments, ranked 4th in the world for debate at one of those, also started a few debating organizations that hold charitable tournaments), assorted leadership (student council chair, leader of two or three clubs in school), and service / advocacy work (founded organization dealing with LGBTQ/human rights issues, have worked with quite a lot of charities in my home country).</p>

<p>I also don't have the space on my application list for more than one school out of Swarthmore and Pomona, even if I don't choose ED2 on either - my school has very strict regulations on the number of schools I can apply to and there isn't a way to escape this problem.</p>

<p>Here are my perspectives on both schools atm:</p>

<p>Swarthmore:
East coast feel, lovely campus and town
Quirky, intellectual feel - kind of intense environment
Very strong community bonds
Tri-Co: Bryn Mawr, Haverford, uPenn
Slightly higher on ratings</p>

<p>Pomona:
Sunny west coast
A little more casual, very happy students, GREAT surrounding town
Small tight community
Claremont consortium
Slightly lower on ratings</p>

<p>Any further information would be greatly valued - thanks! </p>

2

<p>Although you are an international, I think it’s highly unlikely if you don’t get into Wellesley that you’d be accepted at either of these schools. You usually don’t go up in selectivity between ED and ED2, and Wellesley accepts a whole lot more students ED that either of these two schools. Not saying you couldn’t get in to either if you went there first, but I question your order if you prefer either of these over Wellesley, where you’d probably be close to a lock even RD if you were domestic. Of course the international status changes things, but I’m not sure exactly how in this case.</p>

3

<p>@MrMom62 has a good point. I read in your other thread that your high school only allows 6 applications. (That policy is ridiculously restrictive and unfair to you if you are aiming for highly selective colleges, but that’s another topic.)</p>

<p>If you or your parents can’t convince your high school to allow you to apply to several more – about 10 is good – then I would at least postpone your final list until you learn the result from Wellesley. If you are denied or deferred, then you should recalibrate your EDII and RD choices accordingly. On the other hand, if you’re accepted, you’re done!</p>

<p>Although both Swarthmore and Pomona are academically rigorous, Swarthmore is a notch up on the intensity level. Pomona has a more balanced quality of life.
Although both are members of a consortium, Pomona’s group is more easily accessible.
Although both lean left (liberal), Swarthmore is more politically activist.
Public transportation is readily available from Swarthmore to Philadelphia and New York. Los Angeles is not so easy to get around without a car.
I wouldn’t worry about the ratings. Neither is especially well known outside its geographic area, but both are VERY well known to graduate schools and employers.</p>

<p>Without knowing your rationale for the other 4 schools on your list of 6 it’s difficult to comment, but it seems odd that you would consider a school for ED2 but not RD. </p>

4

<p>@MrMom62 @momrath Those are great points and thank you! I agree that if I am straight out rejected from Wellesley then I need to seriously reshuffle my school list. In that case I’m thinking about whether or not to apply for schools like Bryn Mawr or Smith that are a little less selective but still good schools. I’ve gone through my profile and I seriously believe that I am well suited for Wellesley, but of course you can never know what will happen. IF I am rejected from Wellesley I’ll submit applications instead for Bryn Mawr or a lower “tier” school and scrap the idea of ED2. The scenario I’m considering ED2 for is if I am deferred from Wellesley and want to get an “edge” onto another school I also really like. Ultimately I might decide not to apply ED2 and just apply RD but either way I definitely won’t be applying to both Pomona and Swarthmore (my reasoning is below!)</p>

<p>I’m stuck in quite an odd situation with the rest of my school list actually, hence the slightly strange post here. Here’s my rationale for my 5 schools (besides from Wellesley): I have one safety - U of Sydney - that I am completely sure about, and that will be extremely inexpensive and still afford me a good education, given that I’m an Australian citizen. </p>

<p>2 of the remaining 4 spots on my list I have compromised with my parents on. They wanted me to apply to at least two “top 20 US News ranked” schools. This has been a heck of a long discussion - they initially wanted me to apply to two high reaches of their choice but we settled ultimately on one high reach and one lower reach/match. We’ve decided on Northwestern for HR and Rice for LR/M - I like both of these schools considering the constraints I was given and I think I would find ways to be happy at either. However these are still not my top choices, as I still feel I’m much more suited for an LAC type of school.</p>

<p>The 2 remaining spots I get to choose for myself. Right now, I really like Swarthmore and am leaning more in that direction, but Pomona sounds great too. The problem is, even though we settled on Rice as a “lower reach” school, it’s still very competitive and hence my entire college list currently has way too many high reaches and not enough matches. I think in this situation it would be crazy for me to apply to BOTH Swarthmore and Pomona, even if I am deferred from Wellesley and not rejected. Therefore I have left one spot for a great high reach LAC (And right now Swat and Pomona are clear standouts on my list), and one spot for a less selective LAC if all else fails.</p>

<p>I’m not sure if that reasoning is clear. Over the last few weeks I’ve concentrated all my energy on finishing my Wellesley app and I’m finally extremely happy with both the common app and the supplements. I’m going to submit that app tomorrow and afterwards I have some more time to rethink the way I’ve structured my college list as well as time to write some more supplements. Any thoughts would be appreciated!</p>

5

<p>Given your limited number of application slots, I think you might need to consider hedging your bets if you want to get into a school other than Sydney. Pomona and Swarthmore are both longshots for anyone, but especially for someone with as few slots as you have. I think you have a very good shot at Wellesley, but being an international, it’s difficult to say how good a shot. Since you obviously don’t mind attending a women’s college and like LACs, I think your chances are highest at those. Bryn Mawr is a great idea and you could still get to Swarthmore for a few classes, though it’s not easy, plus you’d essentially be at Haverford, which is a Top 10 LAC. Smith is a great school, and you might consider Barnard, which although it is its own school, it’s also the backdoor to Columbia, just don’t let anyone hear you say that. Pomona is great, but consider one of the other Claremont schools where you might have a better shot, even Scripps, where you’d be very strong, yet have access to Pomona and all the other schools.</p>

<p>In an ideal world, I’d say do Wellesley ED1, Swarthmore or Pomona ED2 (or maybe nothing ED2), and then all of the listed schools RD. But since you’re limited to six, Wellesley (ED1), Smith, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Scripps (or Pitzer or Claremont McKenna), and Rice all RD might be the safe way to bet.</p>

6

<p>Your high school and your parents have your application strategy in a stranglehold. If you really want to go to school in the US, something has to give.</p>

<p>I know you said the school’s 6 application policy is non-negotiable, but I’d still recommend that you and your parents (or maybe just your parents) sit down with the principal (not the counselor) and express your concerns. This kind of limitation may work in Europe or Australia, but puts you at a severe disadvantage for US schools.</p>

<p>My son’s high school had a similar restriction, though his was 8. He applied and was accepted ED so in the end the problem disapated, but we were prepared for a confrontation if necessary. Later we learned that other students were allowed to apply to multiple colleges – up to 17 – and that the policy wasn’t as ironclad as we thought.</p>

<p>Rice and Northwestern are fine universities, but it’s your life, not your parents’ so you need to try harder to communicate and stand up for your preferences. If you had a list of 10-12, I’d say, certainly, appease your parents, but as it is, their choices are consuming 1/3 of your options, which isn’t workable, and is setting you up for conflict in the future. </p>

<p>Or maybe you could trade 2 medium range, for one long shot, big prestige like Princeton or Brown.</p>

<p>Could you explain what “Northwestern for HR and Rice for LR/M” means? Are these specific programs at NW and Rice? </p>

<p>I live in Asia and understand the importance of name recognition, but sometimes you just have to do what’s right for you. If your relatives and neighbors don’t recognize the value of these academically excellent LACs, that’s their problem, not yours. You can always go to a big name college for graduate school, and many LACs excel at getting their graduates into top programs.</p>

<p>So you have one for a safety, one for ED, two for your parents and only two remaining. (Sounds like Ba Ba Blacksheep!) Again, if your goal is to attend an academically rigorous LAC in the US, your list needs to be broader.</p>

<p>The way things stand now, I’d go with Pomona ED2 (because it’s slightly closer in personality to Wellesley) and Smith, Holyoke or Bryn Mawr for your only open RD choice (because they are less selective).</p>

7

<p>HR = High Reach
LR/M = Low Reach/Match</p>

8

<p>Thanks, @marvin100</p>

9

<p>Pomona EDII has a very low acceptance rate- something like 14-15%. If you want a boost for Early Decision, Swarthmore would give that to you more than Pomona would. I’d honestly apply to both because they’re the east coast west coast versions of each other, with very subtle differences. </p>

10

<p>Oh I just read through your post a little more- wow, that’s an awful policy :frowning: And you’re right, your list could have too many reaches. </p>

<p>Are you looking for FA? I think Pomona is stingier with international FA, and they don’t allow them to apply via EDII. </p>