<p>My S turned down U of Chicago, Johns Hopkins and Wesleyan to go to Pomona. I think the real choice was between Wesleyan and Pomona, both small and intensely stimulating. As a Wes grad I get communication from both schools. I would say that Wesleyan is a bit edgier than Pomona and alumni/parent events feature more stimulating current topics, but Pomona is a more supportive, nurturing environment, and more "traditionally" academic. By that I mean that Wesleyan perhaps puts more of an emphasis on being "out there" in your thinking or behavior, and Pomona appears to put more emphasis on research and scholarship. Its also great fun to be in CA, esp coming (as we do) from the NY suburbs.</p>
<p>I don't think Wesleyan means to imply that people should be "out there" for the sake of being out there. I know Wesleyan has emphasized the performing arts as an integral part of the academic experience to a degree that is unusual for an LAC and perhaps that leads to a certain amount of self-selection. Perhaps Pomona has a similar artistic and music scene. I know you can't pick up a Connecticut supplement for the New York Times without some mention of an event at Wesleyan; it's become that kind of anchor for much of the surrounding area. Also, I'm not sure it hasn't paid off in terms of recent graduates finding their way into lucrative careers:</p>
<p>I am turning down basically a full ride offer ($24,000 a year) from Tulane University to attend Pomona next year...</p>
<p>like bullwinkle said, dont get discouraged just cuz some other high schoolers you talk to haven't heard of Pomona, because the people who do matter (eg, employers) know their stuff and recognize the school for what it is... amazing</p>
<p>This thread just became my top concern.</p>
<p>Today I was accepted to Harvard.
I was completely not expecting it at all. I thought my chances there were slim to none. I am extremely happy I got in, and my family is extremely happy as well. My problem is, Pomona was my first choice my entire senior year. I never took Harvard as a serious option, considering the fact that it is so incredibly super selective and basically a crapshoot as to who gets in or not. Now that i am in, I am facing a very difficult decision. I can attend pomona, or I can attend harvard. I know i am incredibly lucky to have that choice, but I really have no idea what I am going to do. I never thought I would be in this situation. I feel an incredible amount of pressure to choose Harvard from friends, family, my school, and basically everyone. My parents said they are happy with wherever i choose to go, but I know that if I choose Pomona i am going to face the inevitable, "WHAT? YOU TURNED DOWN HARVARD? FOR...POMONA? What? Where is that? I've never even heard of that school!" and I don't know what to do. I'm hoping to fly out there for admitted students day (i've never been to california nor visited pomona [i live in rural new york]) and I hope I end up making the right decision. Anyone have any advice?</p>
<p>beccaco, it's your life. not your parents friends or teachers. but it will probably be very very hard to turn down harvard. i think all you can do is visit both schools, research both schools, and follow your heart.</p>
<p>beccaco- Go with your heart. </p>
<p>That might mean taking a good look at Harvard now that you're in. (many kids don't give it much of a look because they assume they won't get in anyway!) Or it might mean sitting down with your folks and trying to get them to see what you see in Pomona. Pomona is truly a unique place. The key is, making up your own mind without worrying about what others will think. But don't feel guilty if you choose the name school- (it's not just a name but a great school,) if you've visited and given it a good look and believe it is the right choice for you.</p>
<p>My son is a soph at Pomona and couldn't be happier. He applied ED. My older daughter went to Yale- but before she was admitted, she fell in love with another wonderful but less well-known school. When the Yale acceptance came in, she was stunned at first- and was a bit afraid she would be just following the hype if she jumped at it. She went to their admit days, and looked again knowing she actually had this option, and chose Yale at that point without hesitation.</p>
<pre><code>I knew when I read one of your previous posts that you would be in demand. ;) Don't rush. If you possibly can, visit both schools' admit days, and then make your decision. Only you know where you will be happier- and truthfully, you can't go wrong here. They are very different schools, though, so research a bit more, do some soul searching about what you want in a college and how you think you would fare at each institution, and then choose and don't look back. Good luck, and a big Congratulations!
</code></pre>
<p>Good advice here, spend a night at each school and follow your gut. You will know. Many have had similar decisions. When my son went to admitted students day , the president of the college had a daughter that picked Carlton over Harvard, and I know many who have chosen Pomona over Harvard and of course many who have picked Harvard. You will suceed and go far whereever you chose so pick the place where you will thrive the most. And a huge congradulations!!</p>
<p>Congrats beccaco! I think the most important thing to do is to visit the campuses. I live in NYC and I have been to every single school on my list that I could make it too, and sitting in on classes, talking to students and spending time in the area makes a huge difference.
The exception to the long list of colleges I visited were my three West Coast schools: Stanford, Pomona, and CMC. I have been accepted to all three of those and now I'm deciding between Pomona and Stanford. Could anyone elaborate on the "Stanford reject school" idea? I am in the same difficult decision and need any help possible. I'm going down to visit both schools later this month.</p>
<p>electrical storm- once you visit, I think you will find that Stanford and Pomona have very different cultures. Once you visit, you'll see that for yourself. They are not interchangable.<br>
Since there are so few very selective colleges in CA, many Stanford hopefuls apply to Pomona too, but if their heart is with Stanford, Pomona may just seem like a backup. Hence, the "Stanford reject school" rap by some. These days it seems that kids are in at both or neither, as they both have such low admit rates.
Congratulations to you. Visiting is the best way to know which school fits you. Trust your gut, and appreciate your fortune!</p>
<p>I don't like the Stanford vibe. Too conservative.</p>
<p>ditto saasaa</p>
<p>To the guy who got accepted at Harvard. Wth? If i were you, i wouldnt even be considering pomona at this point. As much as i like pomona, DUDE, YOU JUST GOT INTO HARVARD. hello????</p>
1 Like
<p>For some people, Harvard isn't personal enough. You'll have TAs instead of professors teaching some courses, etc.</p>
<p>dont make the same mistake that i made-</p>
<p>i always wanted to go to pomona, but then i got caught up in the name game, went against my gut feeling, and went to princeton.</p>
<p>biggest regret ever.</p>
<p>im applying to transfer to pomona right now - who says there's no second chance for happiness?</p>
<p>On Stanford vs. Pomona -</p>
<p>Stanford was my dream school. I visited more schools(including Pomona). And then I didn't apply to Stanford as it didn't measure up to Pomona among others(like Williams and Middlebury) for what I wanted.</p>
<p>Pomona is AWESOME. Stanford is a great school. I thought the choice was clear, and didn't even think the other one was worth applying to.</p>
<p>Transfer students at Pomona have come from HYP in the past, and probably wish they had chosen Pomona in the first place. It's more about fit than anything, and when you're in the right place, it makes life much better.</p>
<p>I went through a lot of introspection before I applied ED II, and for a while I was really conflicted because although I really loved Pomona, I didn't know how I would deal with a Princeton acceptance.</p>
<p>I thought carefully about why I would want to go to each place and realized that, being the one who would have to spend four years at my chosen institution, Pomona would be a better fit, even though the name wasn't as flashy.</p>
<p>It has been kind of annoying for people to be like, "Pomona? What?" when you know Princeton would be recognizable. But then again, this is my life. It is my experience. </p>
<p>I know someone who transferred out of Harvard. And when I told my Princeton interviewer that I was withdrawing my application so I could go to Pomona, she congratulated me heartily, then went kind of wistf ul and said she wished she had seriously considered Pomona instead of only applying to schools like Stanford and Princeton.</p>
<p>chikadee- hahahaha i tried to write es tee ef yoo (a shortening for shut the eff up) and it starred it as well</p>
<p>lol, it makes me feel bad for words which just happen to contain unfortunate letter combinations. . .</p>
<p>If you are a big man on campus type, super outgoing, enjoy large classes with lots of action and love big name sports then Pomona will feel way too small. If you are a person who isn't sure exactly what they want to do yet and would benefit from one on one attention from a professor, then the choice is Pomona. This choice is really one about fit for ones personality. You have to visit them both. They are very different.</p>