Whitman or Pomona?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>This is what I have narrowed it down to for ED, but I can't decide which I like more. can you guys tell me:
1. Which has a more laid-back atmosphere
2. Which has a heavier workload
3. Where you would go if you had the choice and why
4. Anything else I should know about them</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>Pomona all the way. Pomona is academically superior. Pomona also has great financial resources and spends them on its students. Pomona benefits from being one of a consortium, so its academic resources are broader.</p>

3

<p>In terms of many tangible factors (perceived academic rigor, finances, etc), Pomona wins. However, Whitman has some things Pomona doesn’t, such as the Semester in the West program and merit aid (I think Pomona’s is just need-based, but I could be wrong. Even if it does offer some merit-based, you’re more likely to get merit aid from Whitman).</p>

<p>Ultimately, though, they’re both great small schools, and it really should come down to a matter of ‘fit’. Have you visited both?</p>

4

<p>Pomonaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.</p>

5

<p>I did visit both and loved both campuses. I did not stay long enough in Claremont or Walla Walla to get much of a feel for the cities, but got a vibe that Whitman is a cute and comfortable town while Claremont is a town with great resources being so close to LA? is that about right?</p>

6

<p>Anyone for Whitman? and what about the atmospheres and workloads?</p>

7

<p>I vote for Whitman if you aren’t concerned about prestige. Whitman is a great place to get an education and to live at for college, however it is not as prestigious as Pomona.</p>

8

<p>There’s a good discussion comparing these 2 schools from 6 months ago:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/whitman-college/693782-intl-st-why-whitman-not-pomona.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/whitman-college/693782-intl-st-why-whitman-not-pomona.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>Pomona! (I am a freshman here though so I’m biased, but I love it here so far). To answer your questions, Pomona does benefit being near LA. It opens up a multitude of internship opportunities as well as cultural and recreational for instance Pomona just organized a dodgers game trip for 5 dollars which included transportation). Just to add that recently John Krasinski (from the office) premiered his film “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men” at Pomona and held a Q&A session. Also we just had Christian Anderson, author of the book/blog “Stuff White People Like.”</p>

<p>To answer your workload question- it varies greatly- per person and per day. However, just like at any top college you can be assured that you will have days with a lot of work to do.</p>

10

<p>Pomona !!!</p>

11

<p>

Whitman</p>

<p>I like Washington a lot better than California. :)</p>

12

<p>Anyone else…?</p>

13

<p>Pomona will open up many more doors.</p>

14

<p>Having doors opened for you is invaluable in many professions, but not equally in all. In sales or consulting, in any field where business judgment and social connections are important, it can matter a lot. If you are a writer, musician, or architect, your product needs to be appealing on its own merits (though just about anyone needs help getting started). A medical doctor doesn’t need anyone to hold open the doors to the operating room (assuming you can get into med school and finish it).</p>

<p>Whitman’s Semester in the West is unique. It will open a whole world to you. For environmental science, geology or field biology, that program may be better for you than anything Pomona has to offer. It all depends on you. If you have no clear preference for the major or the school, Pomona is richer, more well known and selective, so for most students it is the likely first choice (if admissions allows you to make it.) Its US News ranking, the climate, and the Claremont consortium together make it arguably the #1 LAC in the country for many students.</p>

<p>It’s hard to compare workload except in extreme cases (like Reed, which has almost uniquely challenging graduation requirements). At most any good LAC (which both these schools are) you won’t be able to hide in the back row of a huge lecture hall and sleep or text your way through class. As for atmosphere, it’s best to go visit when school is in session, stay overnight in the dorms, attend classes and eat in the dining halls. Otherwise, what people have to say about atmosphere often comes down to words like “preppy” or “laid back”. These words have different meanings from person to person.</p>