Pomona College, a private liberal arts college was founded in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists. They sought to create a college that would provide a high-quality education based on Christian principles. Pomona College is known for its small class sizes, personalized attention, and rigorous academic programs. Pomona College also offers special resources to students. The resources include an artificial intelligence lab, an award-winning theatre, a new studio arts hall, an 85-acre biological field station, a digital planetarium, and a scanning electron microscope. It is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the United States and has a reputation for producing graduates who go on to achieve great success in a wide range of fields.
Location
Pomona College is located in Claremont, California near the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Los Angeles is just 35 miles to the west, and within 50 miles of the campus lies all that Southern California has to offer—from academic and cultural centers, theme parks, and attractions to the desert, mountains, and beaches.
Student Cohort Size
Pomona has an undergraduate population of 1,733 students. 99% of the population are full time students. 53.1% female and 46.9% percent male students are admitted at Pomona College. The diverse group of students includes 62.5% domestic students and 14.3% International students.
Students were admitted to the Class of 2027 from 663 different high schools in 48 states (as well as the District of Columbia and American Samoa) and 50 other countries. The top U.S. states where admitted students come from are California (201), New York (47), Illinois (41), Washington (33), Texas (32), Massachusetts (23), Florida (21), Colorado (17), Oregon (17) and New Jersey (16). Students were also admitted from 50 different countries including China (14), the United Kingdom (9), Canada (7), India (7), Japan (7), Brazil (6), South Korea (6), and Singapore (5).
Admission
Acceptance Rate
Pomona College is a highly selective college with an acceptance rate of 7%. For the class of 2023, Pomona will offer admission to 757 students who come from 48 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and 50 other countries. Students admitted to the Class of 2027 are academically exceptional, with 94.7% of those who attend high schools that rank students ranking in the top 10% of their class.
Acceptance GPA
Pomona College is a highly selective college. Most of the admitted students have a 3.90+ GPA.
Types of Admission
The students can enroll through Early Decision I and II. Students applying to Pomona College for Early Decision are free to simultaneously apply to other colleges through non-binding, unrestricted admission plans (including Early Action). If the students are admitted to Pomona through Early Decision, they have to unconditionally agree to attend Pomona College if they are accepted, and agree to withdraw all other applications. Students can also apply as Quest Bridge or Posse Scholar applicants. They also have the option for the Regular Decision.
Some students might be deferred. 10% to 15% applicants are deferred. This implies that the students have a strong potential to get accepted and their application would be reviewed for the Regular Decision cycle. If you were deferred from the institution, you should talk to our team about the next steps and how we can help you enhance your application.
Application Components:
Complete the Common App
School Report
Counselor Recommendation
Official High School Transcript: This should include your midyear Report after your first term of senior year.
Standardized Test Scores: Pomona College is test optional. However, the accepted students had an SAT score of more than 1400 and an ACT score of more than 34.
Two Letters of Recommendation: The letters should be written by teachers of core academic subject areas like English, foreign languages, math, science, or social sciences. You also have the option to submit a recommendation from a teacher of an elective subject (music, art, journalism, etc.), or by a coach, employer, or other individual who can speak to your skills or special qualities.
Essays:
The Pomona-specific essay prompts for those applying for Fall 2023 admission include an academic interest statement (max. 150 words); a short-response essay (max. 150 words); and a longer-response essay (max. 250 words).
Academic Interest Statement: What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.
Short-Response Essay: choose to respond to one of the following three prompts in 150 words or less:
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At Pomona, we celebrate and identify with the number 47. Share with us one of your quirky personal, family, or community traditions and why you hold on to it.
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What item are you excited to bring with you to college?
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Describe a time when you felt empowered or on top of the world?
Longer-Response Essay: choose to respond to one of the following three prompts in 250 words or less:
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In the past few years, is there something you have changed your mind about? Why?
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Reflecting on a community that you are part of, what values or perspectives from that community would you bring to Pomona?
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What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
Academics
The students who are enrolled at Pomona College have the ability to decide the scope and purpose of their education. The students have the advantage of taking courses at Pomona and the neighboring Claremont Colleges. Pomona College offers 48 fields of study/majors in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and interdisciplinary fields with a range of 600 courses.
Special Academic Programs
Cross-Registration: As a Pomona student you may register for graduate courses at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) or Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) during the fall and spring terms and have those courses count toward your degree requirements at Pomona.
Double Major: Students may complete two majors as part of their undergraduate studies at Pomona College. Students pursuing two majors would be required to complete all the requirements of each major, including the senior exercises.
Internships: The Career Development Office offers two distinguished internship programs with the Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP) — PCIP Semester and PCIP Summer Experience. The programs help students explore and enhance their career path.
Pomona offers two combined Pre-Engineering programs with other universities:
The 3-2 Plan in Engineering: California Institute of Technology and Washington University in St. Louis: Qualified students may receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College and a Bachelor of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology or Washington University in St. Louis after a combined five-year program. The first three years are taken at Pomona and comprise the student’s general education and preparation for the major of the second institution.
The 2-1-1-1 Dual Degree in Engineering with the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth: The Dual-Degree Program is for students at Pomona College who want to study engineering at Dartmouth. The students will spend their junior or senior year at Dartmouth, receive their bachelor’s degree from Pomona College, and then return to Dartmouth to complete a fifth year of engineering studies in the Bachelor of Engineering (BE) program.
Faculty/Student Ratio
The student/faculty ratio at Pomona College is 8:1. The average class size is 15 students. The professors are able to give more attention to the students. The faculty members work closely with students on research and creative projects. The excellent mentorship provided by the professors helps students with their critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to address challenging situations in college and beyond.
Four-Year Completion Rate
The graduation rate is one of the most important factors while selecting a college. Pomona College’s first-year retention rate is 97%. This means that 97% first-year students continue their education for their sophomore year and beyond. The 4-year graduation rate is 86% and the 6-year graduation rate is 93%. This implies that 86% students were able to graduate after 4 years, whereas 93% were able to graduate after 6 years. The extra semesters or years you take to graduate increases the cost of your degree.
Activities
Students get the opportunity to take part in some of these activities:
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Campus Ministries
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Choral Groups
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Dance
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Drama/Theater
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Film
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International Student Organization
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Jazz Band
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Literary Magazine
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Model UN
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Music Ensembles
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Musical Theater
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Radio Station
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Student Government
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Student Newspaper
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Symphony Orchestra
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Yearbook
Cost of Attendance
On-Campus:
Tuition $61,906
Fee $420
Housing & Food $20,347
Books & Supplies $1,100
Personal Expenses $1,500
Medical Insurance $2,868
Total $85,300
Off-Campus:
Tuition $61,906
Fee $420
Housing & Food $17,445
Books & Supplies $1,100
Personal Expenses $1,500
Medical Insurance $2,868
Total $82,371
Parents/Relatives:
Tuition $61,906
Fee $420
Housing & Food $12,332
Books & Supplies $1,100
Personal Expenses $1,500
Medical Insurance $2,868
Total $77,528
In conclusion, Pomona College is a highly selective and esteemed liberal arts college that offers an exceptional educational experience to its students. With its rigorous academic programs, dedicated faculty, vibrant campus community, and commitment to diversity and inclusion, Pomona College has established itself as one of the top colleges in the United States. Pomona College is a remarkable institution that provides its students with the tools, resources, and support necessary to achieve their academic and personal goals.
