I’m at a crossroads. I’m a transfer student from Community College. Now it has come down to Pomona College vs UPenn.
For some it may seem like an easy choice but, the liberal arts and close-knit community from Pomona is very much tempting for me as a transfer student.
I’d love some insight. Financial Aid is not a factor because I got a full-ride to both.
I’m a 20F Immigrant from Latin America. Studying Political Science and wanting to focus on identity studies (gender, ethnic, religious, or otherwise)
Please chime in.
It sounds easy to me Laura.
You said - for some it’s easy - i.e. Penn because it’s Ivy.
But you want Pomona - it’s clear. btw - they’re both elite - it’s just one is in the Ivy league.
Guess what - you’re studying something that’s not money making.
And you’re going for free.
Pick the right school for you - and that’s the right school.
The right school isn’t the one you don’t want…because it’s “Ivy League”.
Good luck.
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Pomona is no less prestigious than Penn, make your decision based on fit(and it sounds like Pomona is the better fit.)
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I agree with @tsbna44 that it does appear to be an easy choice, and that the better choice is Pomona College based on your interests.
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I’d pick Pomona every day of the week. But that’s me. I like the intimacy of small liberal arts colleges, and Pomona is elite among the elite in that category.
It sounds like Pomona is the better fit overall, but I want to bring this up in case you had not considered it:
If you chose Penn, you could take some courses at Swat, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr – which are on the same level as the Claremonts. This would give you access to a bit of the LAC experience, in addition to your university and urban Philadelphia experience at UPenn.
(it takes time getting from the LACs to/from Penn, but I imagine it can be rewarding)
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Those two years will go by fast. I would choose the place where you feel you can acclimate quickly and get the most out of both your academic and social experience. For your interests and preferences, I would lean toward Pomona. Penn has a more pre-professional vibe, whereas you’ll probably find a higher percentage of like-minded students at Pomona (and the other Claremonts), who share your interest in looking at poli sci through an identity studies lens.
Both have relatively small numbers of entering transfers, so I would think that the Pomona environment, where the vast majority of upperclassmen continue to live on campus, would make it easier to assimilate socially, whereas a majority of Penn upperclassmen live off-campus.
Both phenomenal choices - congratulations, whatever, you choose!
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Here are the political science courses at each, although not all will be offered every semester:
https://www.polisci.upenn.edu/undergraduate/courses-requirements
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