<p>I'm going to be a senior in the fall, and haven't visited Pomona, interviewed, or done anything really besides send my Sat scores. It's not because I don't care- Pomona's my first choice and has been for years- but because I live on the East Coast.
My mom doesn't want me to visit unless we know I've been accepted, but I'm concerned that might impact my chances of getting in, since interviews and visits are STRONGLY recommended on their website, and they actually require all Southern California students to visit in order to be accepted.
Think I should invest in a plane ticket?</p>
<p>I think they realize that it’s very difficult students on the east coast to visit and interview, so they won’t count it against you, but if you do visit it would show your interest and would be a positive on your application. I liked Pomona before I visited, but after the visit it jumped right to my number one school, and that’s what made me write a letter to the admissions office after I got wait listed.</p>
<p>Did you end up getting in after the letter?</p>
<p>We are from the east coast. My D had an interview in NY with an alumna but did not visit the school until after she was accepted. She visited the school for the first time on admitted students day, stayed overnight and met so many current as well as prospective students. That was the deciding factor for her. So, I think the answer is that visiting the school before you are accepted is definitely not necessary.</p>
<p>As a parent, the first time I saw the school was move-in day!</p>
<p>I’m from the east coast as well, and Pomona was also my first choice. I ended up visiting over the summer (too hard to get away during the school year), for several reasons: I wanted to actually see the school because I loved it so much, I wanted to interview, and I wanted to convince my parents that going across the country for Pomona was worth it.</p>
<p>If you can afford the time and money it takes to visit, I would consider it. You get a better feel for the school, even if you go during the summer, and doing the interview is a plus. Visit another Claremont or two while you’re out there - they’re all great schools in my opinion. That was how I justified my visit: I toured and interviewed at CMC and Scripps as well, so I got to see three schools in one trip.</p>
<p>That being said, it is NOT necessary to visit! You can show your interest in other ways. So many things impact the admissions process; there’s not just one piece that will make or break you. Please don’t stress :)</p>
<p>If you can’t visit, they’ll completely understand, but request a catalog and join the email list to show that you care. The entire reason they like visiting students is that a student that has visited has a higher chance of enrolling if accepted. Yield is important for a small college like Pomona, because there’s limited space. Once they know that you’re interested, it’s not a big deal whether you visit. So if you do decide to visit, do it because you really want to see the school, not because you think it will be a critical application boost. And I don’t recommend visiting during the summer. Visit on a weekday while classes are in session so you get to see the student body and get more out of it.</p>
<p>Although I live close to claremont and visited multiple times before I was admitted, I wanted to share that I was deferred from early decision to regular decision, and during that time I sent in a letter to pomona about what exactly I loved about the campus, and I also visited it again to observe a class, and I truly believe this is what got me in during regular decision—the fact that I showed specific and continued interest. While you may not be able to visit more than once, being able to specifically say why pomona is your first choice may show that your are truly interested in attending :)</p>
<p>I’ve already requested the information, twice, and have only been sent the same viewbook both those times. Don’t get me wrong, it’s huge, and has more information about the college than anything I’ve gotten from any other school, but they’re not sending things every week like many of the other schools I plan to apply to. Is that fairly normal?</p>
<p>I was admitted from Southern California. I neither interviewed nor visited. Don’t ask me how I got in because I have no idea hahaha</p>
<p>My S will be a sophomore next year and we are from Nor Cal. He never had an interview as they get booked up very quickly, but he did visit when he was a junior. I think if you can’t visit, a specific email saying you wish that you could, but are unable to, would definitely be an advantage. Great school and the 5 C- consortium is so awesome—so much better than it as described!</p>
<p>I think that an on-campus visit is helpful if you are on the admission edge. If you are one of the students who would be admitted to almost any college the visit and interview probably would not be all that important. My son, who was admitted off the wait list, had visited and was interviewed by a senior and met with an admission officer. The fact the people in the office had personal knowledge of my son helped him, I believe, get off the wait list. Pomona is a fantastic place best of luck to you.</p>
<p>This year the cost of attendance at Pomona for my son, as calculated by the financial aid office for the upcoming year is a little over $56000. If the charges continue to go up you will be spending almost a quarter million dollars, depending on any aid, for your time at Pomona. Given that expense I think a visit is a good investment if finances permit. Pomona is great but that does not mean it is great for everybody. You want to make sure it is right for you and a visit and interview especially when students are there is a wise investment of your time and resources.</p>