Where all the life goes on? :)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pomona College
1

<p>We just came back from SoCal college visiting trip. There were 3 UCs and Pomona on my D's "to see" list. It really impressed us in some peculiar way how contrasting the "hustle and bustle" of student's commotion at UC campuses looked like compared to the quiet, almost lifeless "feel" of the Pomona and other Claremont Colleges campuses. It was Monday, supposedly the regular "school" day (and the "open house" day for prospective students at Pomona), and most probably, all the students were in classes ... but where all they were between their classes, during lunchtime, after classes? We have spent there about half-a-day (left at around 3-4 p.m.) - the area looked almost dead most of the time. </p>

<p>Before visiting those campuses we felt certain that, if only we could afford it (Pomona is known with a good finaid ;)) getting Pomona education (or other similar LAC's - with high academic reputation, lots of personal attention from professors etc.) would be much more beneficial for our quiet, shy, academically focused kid, than going to a huge state school when you are "just a number" (on the other hand, since we can't know for sure how much finaid we'd qualify for, ignoring UCs isn't an option, therefore, we have been checking them out as rigorously as any other colleges). But, right now I wonder ...</p>

<p>Even being as much academically inclined as she is DD would like to have some fun at college - to meet people, make freinds, have social opportunities etc. - everything that makes those college years so exciting. How all this happen at places like Pomona? Before coming to visit I imagined the place as tiny and "cozy" - about the size of D's high school - both geographically and demographically, so that the close-knit small college community would all be there, seen and heard. But the campus turned out to be no less spread out than any other multi-thousand-students college campus - except there weren't any thousands or hundreds or even tens of people anywhere - only handful of students at some places like cafeteria quietly reading something. During the campus tour we were led through some dorm (international/language house?) - it was very quiet, too. Then we had chosen some classes from the schedule they had given us - D decided to go to one of their advanced language classes, and we (the rest of the family) went to sit in another humanities class (the professor was kind enough to welcome us there ;)) - and compared our note afterwards. All the classes were really small - about 5-6 people ... very quiet and kind of "sleepy", too. While looking for the right classrooms, we had run through all the building - it was pretty quiet, with the very few people in it here and there ... </p>

<p>So, the overall impression of the place - a big, beautiful ... and lifeless (studentless! ;)) place in the middle of nowhere. D, who previously had been almost certain about applying there is now very thoughtful and confused about it. It looked like it might be kind of difficult to find any social interactions there - especially for the quiet, shy, not very easily-reaching-out person. ;) While we realise that the benefit of such an institution - low student-teacher ratio, lots of personal attention - is still there, the "other side of the medal" (lack of social opportunities) feels more real and confusing now. Where people meet other people there? How they spend their out-of-class time? How often do they go off-campus and how easy (ot not) to do it without a car? </p>

<p>Any feedback from happy Pomona College population is very welcome. :) Is there anybody who would feel there somewhat like we did, at first? When and how that "lifeless" campus feel was ovecome?</p>

2

<p>Me and my D were at Scripps early September and i remember asking...is school in session? It was really quiet, but I certainly wouldn't call it lifeless. There was more activity as the day went on, and I was told, between classes. I was also told Pomona "mixes" less then the other campuses. Was the same true at all the campuses when you were there? MY gaughter absolutely LOVED it btw; even more then she loved the UCLA experinece she had, which was over the summer. She goes to a small suburban school, 90 in her graduating class. She is black, which heightens my concerns a little about social options, but not hers. She's used to it.</p>

3

<p>My daughter, a current sophomore, hardly finds Pomona 'lifeless'. Just the opposite. She is incredibly busy with friends, activities, classes, and a campus job. Friendships were initiated quickly through the sponsorship program, in classes, and during the outdoor adventure trip all freshmen take. There is always something happening on Pomona's campus, a well as on the other four campuses that make up the Consortium. Check out the online calendar of events for the five colleges. or pm me if you have any questions.</p>

4

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<p>Could you tell more about it? Where they go, for how long, what they do there?</p>

<p>What is sponsorship program?</p>

5

<p>People are usually doing homework or going to class in the morning and afternoon, things don't really start to pick up until at least after dinner.</p>

<p>The Outdoor Adventure trips are four day trips, after the first two days of on-campus orientation, where you go out to someplace to do things. I'm being purposely vague because there are about 16 different places and things to do, from exploring SoCal to canoeing along the Colorado river. You can check out the list here: <a href="http://www.pomona.edu/studentaffairs/oa/trips.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.pomona.edu/studentaffairs/oa/trips.shtml&lt;/a>.
The first couple of days are busy and kind of overwhelming, but over the trip you'll really get a chance to connect with the other people in your class.</p>

<p>The sponsor group program is basically that each hall is split up into smaller groups from 10-20 people (depending on where they live) and are led by a male and female sophomore, who are there to give support and advice. It's basically the group of people you'll be living with for the rest of the year, and since Pomona usually does a good job of putting similar people together, you'll probably end up being friends with at least some of them.</p>

6

<p>One word: Midterms. :)</p>

<p>Really, though. October break is coming up, so lots of students have multiple midterms this week and next. This is kind of the mid-semester "slump." It's a major cause behind the overall quiet and also the in-class "sleepiness" across Claremont right now.</p>

<p>Other reasons that the campuses were (are) quiet:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>"But the campus turned out to be no less spread out than any other multi-thousand-students college campus - except there weren't any thousands or hundreds or even tens of people anywhere." You hit the nail on the head. The five schools together could easily fit 20,000 undergrads, and yet they hold just over 5,000. That's a lot of space to hide so few students! Everyone's around and about, but you have to know where to look. When I gave Scripps tours, everyone would always comment on the quiet of the campus (except when I gave mid-day, end of the week tours...then the whole place came alive). But at the very end of the tour, when we went inside Seal Court and the Motley, no matter what hour it was, it was always a lightbulb moment: "Ohhh...THERE they all are!" </p></li>
<li><p>SoCal students are spoiled by nice weather. If you're from out of town, bear in mind that what may have felt like a nice day to you could actually have been abnormally cool or overcast, which would tend to keep people inside. I don't know that this was the case, but it happened frequently in my tours that people would say "Where is everyone? It's such a beautiful day!" and I'd be freezing, anxious to get back to my dorm...</p></li>
<li><p>On Pomona, class buildings are (for the most part) in a different area than dorms, so you may have just been in the wrong places at the wrong times.</p></li>
<li><p>If you visited in the morning, it's worth noting that college kids have weird hours. When I gave 10am tours, a good portion of the campus was still in bed, or at least not really out and about.</p></li>
<li><p>Claremont students have beautiful dorms, and often very close-knit residence halls. It's not a painful thing to spend time in them, and there's often a lot going on inside. I know that sounds trivial, but when your dorms are frequently ranked among the top 10 in the country, well...why not spend a lot of time in them? :p</p></li>
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<p>All of these are factors. But above all, your daughter should know that the Claremonts are quiet campuses. They are absolutely not dead or lifeless (I have plenty of photos and anecdotes of crowded lawns, pick-up soccer or frisbee games, craft fairs, classes-on-the-lawn, 4-Square in the courtyard, etc. to prove it), but they are certainly quiet. Even under the best of circumstances, "hustle and bustle" is not something you'll find. Of course there is an active social scene throughout Claremont, and plenty of very motivated, engaged students. I don't at all mean to suggest that we're all droopy-eyed and mute. But to pretend that the atmosphere is or could possibly be comparable to that at some large state schools would be misleading (and ridiculous). </p>

<p>I'm another quiet, shy, not-very-reaching-out person who chose Claremont (Scripps) over a UC (Cal), as well as other "bustling" schools (USC). I also chose it over even quieter schools. I actually found the decision quite appropriate for many reasons. I personally believe that I would have gotten lost in or overwhelmed/intimidated by the busy atmosphere at other schools (and not just socially, but also academically and extra-curricularly). Maybe this will make sense (or maybe it's dumb, in which case it can just be ignored): given my personality, I'm much more comfortable getting together with a small group and really talking to them all rather than going to a crowded party and saying "hi" to 200 people. So even though Claremont is small and quiet, that atmosphere actually made it a lot easier (for me) to feel comfortable, reach out, get noticed, and get involved. I also came out of a high school that held my hand for four years...I would never have known what to do in a school where I had to claw my way to being noticed or involved. I was simply not a pro-active person...I'd never had to be. Scripps didn't hold my hand at all, but it provided a completely unintimidating atmosphere, so that now, headed to a UC (Cal again) for grad school, I really know that I'll be just fine. I simply roll my eyes at the bureaucracy, rather than run the other direction from it :p</p>

<p>For the record, the quiet never bothered me when I visited schools. My parents both went to large state schools and they were driven absolutely crazy by it...they thought I'd be bored and lonely. But I knew it was a comfortable atmosphere for me. If your daughter feels differently, then she should go with her gut. On the other hand, it sounds like she might've had a less-than-representative experience, so I'd encourage her to apply to Pomona anyway, but to visit and spend a night if she's accepted. </p>

<p>I'd also encourage her to check out Scripps, but that's just me ;)</p>

7

<p>Another way to get a feel for daily life on the campuses is to check out <a href="http://digester.pomona.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://digester.pomona.edu&lt;/a>. Check it out for a few days at a time (the posts get added throughout the day.)</p>

8

<p>Have your D spend a night on campus. It is far from quiet. My S applied to Pomona as an afterthought but after his visit and spending a night he would not even consider his other choices. That is truly the only way to get the true essence of the college. Because of the 5 colleges there is always something going on. Best of luck to your D.</p>

9

<p>Srinkrap, D and I visited Pomona recently. When she ran off to check out something, I sat in the cafeteria and observed the students. I saw a group of black girls walking in, getting their food and sitting down together. White kids were hanging out with other white kids. Ditto for a bunch of asian kids. It got me very concerned that I did not see much interaction between the races. D goes to a very large school with a significant percentage of kids of color, and lots of them mix. D is so white that even a spray-on tan does not stick to her, but she has very good friends across the entire skin color spectrum! I really hope that what I observed was not the typical thing. D has Pomona on her list, but she wants a school where everyone feels equal and skin color is not a factor for making friends. From Pomona brochures, it looks like they have one of the most diverse populations among top LACs. Pomona students, please comment on this!</p>

10

<p>Yes, my D, a student at Pomona, is in the middle of midterms right now - that could certainly put a damper on the "excitement" level observed on a campus tour. </p>

<p>Remember, most Pomona students absolutely love being there. That's probably the main reason why Pomona has the highest freshman retention rate (students who return for sophomore year), of any school in the country (99% according to USNWR). Having said that, if your D has a gut feeling that it's not "right" for her, I wouldn't push it. No school is perfect for every conceivable student.</p>

<p>Regarding diversity, yes, Pomona is quite diverse. I wouldn't take cafeteria observations too seriously. My D certainly has made many friends of color, and this has been facilitated by Pomona's excellent freshman orientation practices (mentioned above), including Sponsor Groups, Orientation Adventure, and Advisor Groups. You have almost no choice but to be exposed to others of very different interests and backgrounds. Having said that, it's human nature to want to eat lunch with friends of similar interests and backgrounds, whether they're from Chess Cub, the football team , the Asian American Student Alliance, or the Pan-African Student Association (all Pomona organizations).</p>

11

<p>My daughter is going to be passing through for a quick look on Friday afternoon (the only time we could swing it.) Any suggestion regarding where 5C students might be found between 3 and 7 on a Friday? I'd like to have her have an opportunity to get a fair impression of Pomona and the other Claremonts. (I realize that Friday before dinner isn't exactly "prime time" on any college campus.)</p>

12

<p>One thing to remember about the Claremonts compared to UCs and other big schools is that 90+ percent of the students live on-campus in dorms all 4 years. At UCs and other big campuses the students can't run back to their dorms/apartments/homes (if commuters) between classes, so thousands of them will be out and about in public areas while waiting for their next class.
Does not mean they are necessarily participating in meaningful activities as much as just hanging out.</p>

<p>My daughter is also academically inclined and shy until she gets to know people. She started at Scripps this Fall and is loving it. She has gone to many 5-C activities/parties that all the Claremonts are invited to attend. She went to a summer program at UCSD two years ago and found the dorms really noisy and hard to study in your room. (note: Summer program may not be typical of regular school year.)</p>

13

<p>Okay - change of plans - where's a good place to find students hanging out on Saturday during the day?</p>

14

<p>Unfortunately it looks like it will rain. I know, I know- it doesn't rain in SoCal. </p>

<p>So I would go to the Coup, eat at a dining hall, get a coffee at the Motley... hope this helps.</p>

<p>On a normally beautiful day I'd say just walk around and you'll see people sunbathing, studying outside... the iconic college scene. Good luck!</p>

15

<p>Ditto Elizzan's advice. If it's rainy, expect quiet. If it isn't, well...remember that it's midterm season and still expect some quiet. Friday night and Saturday night will probably be fairly lively, but weekend days are generally laid-back, especially during this time of year (weather is as much a factor as academics). </p>

<p>If you're on campus early enough, try to get brunch at one of the schools (weekends are brunch/dinner rather than breakfast/lunch/dinner, although Frary might be an exception...check with admissions before you arrive). The hours vary by dining hall (you should be able to find something between roughly 9am-2pm, if I recall correctly) and if you go right at the beginning or end, there will be fewer people (and fewer options for food if you're at the tail-end). If you want to stay on Pomona, I'd recommend Frary. If you want to go elsewhere, my favorite brunches were Scripps and Mudd. If you're on campus late enough, try to do dinner, as well, perhaps at another dining hall (opening should be around 5pm).</p>

<p>The Coop is on Pomona and should have students eating, studying, and hanging out (busier outside of dining hall hours). The Motley is on Scripps and should have the same. If it sounds like Claremont students eat a lot, it's because we do :p</p>

<p>You'll see lots of posters while you walk around the campuses. Pay attention to dates and times...things might be happening while you're around. Using decent judgment, don't hesitate to walk in on interesting situations (i.e. if it looks like a student musical group's rehearsal, head on in to watch).</p>

<p>I'd also recommend talking to as many students as you're able to (bearing in mind that it is a busy time of year). You'll be able to get candid responses to your questions, get different opinions re: campus (why it's quiet, why something random is going on on a lawn somewhere, whatever), perhaps even see a few dorm rooms. I was always mortified when my mom would do this during tours, but the responses were always incredibly helpful (and good-natured).</p>

<p>Also, walk around all 5Cs, not just the school to which you plan to apply (if you actually enroll, you'll likely be spending time all over the place). Try talking a little bit to students at the other colleges about interaction. </p>

<p>If you get into town on Friday night, you might head over to campus late and at least drive around to see if there's anything going on. Can't hurt. Likewise if you're still around Saturday night. Not a big deal if you're unable.</p>

<p>Enjoy your visit :)</p>

16

<p>Regarding race and diversity.</p>

<p>Pomona has various mentor programs for students of color. These exist to serve as a place to discuss issues that students feel need to be brought up. (One example: Pomona has a relatively large % of Latino/a students, and even Latino/a faculty, but they're still a minority. However, much of the grunt work on campus-- cafeteria and maintenance jobs-- is done by Latinos. So, as a student, how does it make you feel if you're taught by white profs all day, and then go to the dining hall and watch a Latino/a person mopping?) Some of these programs reach out to freshmen, and they may also get together for cultural events, etc. So, sometimes when a group of black students sits together in the dining hall, it's because they have bonded with each other in one of those groups. </p>

<p>Some of it, admittedly, may be ethnocentrism, which happens everywhere. But certainly you will see groups of friends that are diverse..... and most students are open and friendly to anyone.</p>

17

<p>I asked this about USC...conservative or liberal?</p>

<p>Are these schools really "in the middle of nowhere" as someone above me suggested?</p>

18

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<p>Are you asking about Claremont Colleges? Well, it's not a rural place - it's pretty boring-looking (but beautiful, if you like the typical SoCal landscape with palms, mountains and lots of sunshine ;)) suburbia.</p>

19

<p>Is there anything to do in that typical SoCal suburban landscape?</p>

<p>Do the students take advantage of the consortium of schools? I'm not interested in a LAC, per se, but with all of the schools combined, it's not so small.</p>

<p>Is it more conservative or more liberal?</p>

20

<p>Most Pomona students are liberal. </p>

<p>There's not much to do in Pomona's immediate area, but there's TONS of stuff within an hour's drive. As many will point out, you can go skiing and go to the beach on the same day. You can go into LA or Hollywood or Pasadena. Also, a lot of people find there is a fair amount to do on campus. It depends what you're looking for.</p>