Like VirologyNerd, I was a Deferred EDer and when I was waiting for my decisions last year, I already had an acceptance from UCLA under my belt. Pomona was hands down my first choice so when I got my Pomona acceptance it was a no-brainer that I was going to Pomona, and i would recommend the same for anyone else in this situation. Especially with the immense amounts of budget cuts the California publics are facing, going to a private is a much safer bet.
Also, last weekend I went up to Berkeley to visit my best friend and while I was there I realized how truly lucky I am to attend a small school like Pomona. Not only are the classes smaller, the communities closer but the food is MUCH better. And maybe it was because I had gotten used to living at Pomona for a semester and a half, but I was SO glad that I did not go to a public school. I'm sure you've heard the class size argument a bunch of times but I cannot stress it enough: smaller classes really are the greatest. You get individual attention from the professor, you work closely with your peers, the discussions are extremely interesting and you can participate in them pretty easily. Also Pomona is on a semester system while all the UCs are on a quarter system (so if you have a preference, there you go). To expand on the "better" social scene at Pomona, I guess it really depends on what kind of person you are, but I feel SO much closer to my spiblings (ppl on my floor/in my sponsor group) than my friend at Berkeley does with her hall mates. Pomona puts in a lot of effort in matching you and your roommate well and in creating cohesive sponsor groups. For example, at Berkeley, I met some cool people on my friend's floor at Berk, but I don't think if was even half the people that lived on the floor. Not to say that you would meet everybody at Pomona if you came to visit, but my friend didn't even know some of those people (I, on the other hand, can say that i know everybody on my floor and half of the people upstairs). And maybe it was just that floor or that school, but I have a feeling that community at Pomona is one thing that is undeniably strong.
Also, another thing you might want to consider is what kind of social scene you want - Pomona has no Greek life whatsoever, and our sports culture isn't that great. UCLA is also located in Westwood which is known for having a great night life. So if you like living in the middle of a busy city - you might lean more towards UCLA. The city of Claremont is an old people city - not much goes on and most stores close at 9pm...which can be a damper when you want to get off campus but it really doesn't affect everyday life. I find the social life pretty satisfying, but it all depends on what you prefer. Personally, before coming to college I didn't really know what I liked in terms of partying, but Pomona turned out to be pretty awesome.
Overall - I obviously love Pomona and although I could imagine myself at other colleges, I'm really happy I came here
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