Pomona College is a small liberal arts school in sunny southern California that punches way above its weight. Thanks to the Claremont Colleges consortium, Pomona has the resources of a major university in a tight-knit and super elite community. 62% of the 1,800 students at Pomona conduct research with faculty, and there are 69 different study-away programs available to students. Pomona expects their students to become world leaders in business, philanthropy, government, and art, so they are extremely selective about why they welcome onto campus as part of the student body.
In the 2022-2023 application cycle, Pomona received 12,118 applications and admitted on 817. The acceptance rate was a mere 6.7%. Pomona aims for 415 applicants per class, so they plan for a 50% yield rate. If that estimate is off and there are spots left open after accepted applicants have made their final pick of school, Pomona fills them off of the waitlist.
That same year, in the spring of 2023, Pomona offered a spot on the waitlist to 845 students — even more than they accepted. 587 chose to join the waitlist and try their luck at getting a spot in the first-year class. Ultimately, 62 were admitted, or 10.6%. As far as waitlists go, these aren’t terrible odds. With so many schools offering thousands of students spots on their waitlists, and then accepting only a handful, if any at all, we find it pretty refreshing to see a top-tier school actively use their waitlist. It also means that you really have a chance, so it’s worth doing the work to increase your odds.
So, what should you do next? Well, we’ve got your back. This will be your step-by-step guide to what to do next if you’ve been offered a spot on the Pomona waitlist.
If you’re stressing about how to handle a Pomona waitlist decision, send us an email. We help students navigate the toughest spots of the college admissions process.
Get on the Waitlist
First, you need to get on the waitlist. Let Pomona know that you want the spot through the online applicant portal. To do this, you need to fill out the Waitlist Response Form — this is a must if you want to be considered for admission. They will not look at your application again if they don’t know that you want them to. It’s not a race, though. The waitlist is not ranked, so don’t freak out if you haven’t done this yet (and it’s before May 1). Just do it as quickly as you can now that you know.
Historically, about 8% of Pomona applicants are offered a place on the waitlist. Not everyone accepts that offer, but it’s still a lot of people. So, you need a back-up plan. That’s what we’ll tackle next.
Line up a Backup
Once you’ve confirmed your spot on the Pomona waitlist, you need to make sure that you have a seat in a first-year class for fall. To do this, accept a spot at a school you were accepted to — and hopefully one that you would also be happy to attend, even if it isn’t your dream school. Getting off of the waitlist is hard, so you need to have a plan for if that doesn’t happen. You may lose your deposit at your back-up school if you are ultimately accepted by, and choose to enroll in, Pomona. Unfortunately, that’s just the price of playing the waitlist game.
Now that you have a spot in a freshman class confirmed, though, it’s time to do the real work to turn your waitlist decision from Pomona into an acceptance.
Reinforce Your Interest
As Pomona reconsiders waitlisted applicants, they are thinking about a lot more than simply each individual application in isolation. A big part of college admissions is the literal ‘big picture.’ They are putting together a community from all these disparate pieces (the students), and do their best to make sure that there are a balance of different personalities, interests, passions, and pursuits. So, it isn’t just about you, but you are also the only part of it that you can control.
Pomona wouldn’t have waitlisted you if they didn’t see something in you that felt like a fit for the Pomona community academically and culturally. There was something, though, that didn’t quite click. It could be that they feel like they didn’t get a full sense of who you are, that your area of interest was very popular this year and they had too many applicants planning to pursue your prospective major, or even that they love you — but they aren’t convinced that you love them. Now that you have been waitlisted, though, you need to dispel any doubt to increase your chances of admission.
To help them in reconsidering your application, Pomona accepts a brief update through the applicant portal in the “Waitlist Update” section just below your decision letter. The number one (#1!) thing that they ask for in this letter is for applicants to “express your interest more enthusiastically.” Below, we’ll break down exactly how to do that.
What you’re going to write for Pomona is often called a Letter of Continued Interest, or LOCI, and it’s a short, formal letter that lets the admissions office know that you are 1) still interested and 2) still awesome. This letter should only include relevant information and updates, and more is not more. Sometimes students think that what was missing from their application was a volume of information. That is rarely, if ever, the case. Instead, you need to focus on specificity and targeting your LOCI to what Pomona cares about most.
Opening: Start your letter with a formal general opening, as you aren’t addressing this to one person in particular. For example, it could be as simple as, “Dear Pomona Admissions,”. Then, follow the opening with a line reminding them of who you are and why you are writing. For example, “My name is Sarah Jane, and I recently confirmed my interest in being on the waitlist for openings in the first-year class. I’m writing to underline my passion for Pomona and my commitment to attend if accepted, and to provide a few updates to my application.”
Reinforce Interest: Next, you really need to double down on how much you love Pomona. This is a “Why Us” essay shrunk down to 200 words and on steroids. They should finish this paragraph with 100% confidence that if you are accepted, you will attend. Communicate this through specifics. Focus on the major program you want to pursue, professors or opportunities that are particularly exciting to you, and the unique attributes of the Pomona community.
Short Update: Pomona doesn’t ask for an update on what you’ve been up to, so we want to keep this really short and compact — maybe even less than 100 words. Provide them with 1-3 updates to your application that are relevant to what you emphasized in your initial application, such as an award or honor, leadership position, or academic achievement. Keep it simple, focused, and short.
Closing: End your letter with one final sentence reiterating that Pomona is your first choice and that you will attend if accepted, and then close with “Sincerely,” “With Gratitude for your Time,” or something else like that. Keep it formal, and don’t try to be playful or funny — it rarely plays well.
Follow Instructions
Once you’ve edited and submitted your update, there’s not much left to do. Pomona doesn’t request updated grades from waitlisted applicants, but they may check in on them if they choose to make you an offer so you definitely need to keep your grades as high as you can. Other than that, the biggest thing is to not be a bother. Don’t call, pester, or risk making yourself known as a problem. Do what they invite, and don’t stand outside the admission office with a poster praising them and singing at the top of your lungs. Really, don’t do it.
Be Patient
Pomona will begin to offer spaces to waitlisted students after May 1st. This means that you’re going to have to wait, likely until late spring or early summer, to hear back. You need to keep your cool, but you should also plan as if you won’t get in. Enjoy your senior spring, celebrate your successes, and enjoy the sunshine! The college will let you know if the class is full and they are no longer considering waitlisted applicants, so there will come a day when you’re either in or out, and we appreciate that.
A final thought, though: You should note that students accepted off the waitlist are not eligible to take a gap year, also known as “deferring” your admission. If you have grand plans of a year off between high school and college, waiting for Pomona to pick you does mean you’ll need to change your plans.
The waitlist process is frustrating and complicated, but it doesn’t need to be stressful. Follow instructions, make a case for yourself where you can, and celebrate your successes. You’ve made it this far!
If you’re on the receiving end of a waitlist decision and feeling defeated, we’re here to help.