<p>I am thinking of being an English major and I was curious to know if the English department at Pomona is up to par with the other departments I see listed on these forums as its “strong areas”, like economics and international relations. I really love the Pomona environment but I know very little about the departmental reputations. If I were to get accepted to UC Berkeley (which has a very strong English department) and Pomona, should I really consider turning Berkeley down? I think I would like the experience of being at Pomona more but would the education be as good?</p>
<p>Also, what about foreign languages, particularly Spanish? I’d like to do a Spanish minor.</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that no one in here has taken an English course at Pomona! Please help me, it seems that some describe Pomona as a more science-oriented school and few seem to mention its humanities departments as strengths.</p>
<p>Doesn’t anyone have an opinion about an English or Spanish class they took?</p>
<p>Pertaining to English departments, I think that any LAC worth its salt would have a very good English department, be it Amherst, Williams, Swat, Carleton etc. I’m planning to major in English (only attending this fall), but I can’t tell you exactly how it is like.</p>
<p>Maybe you can try going into facebook (Pomona 2011/Pomona 2010) and ask/email seniors or something. Or post this in the college search, where there is more traffic.</p>
<p>IMHO, when you’ve established that both schools have good departments in whatever major you’re interested in - it then comes down to which school will fit you better. If you prefer Pomona’s academic environment, then you should definitely go for Pomona. From my research and talk with past grads, Pomona is an all-rounded school with many strong departments. (In fact English is one of the most popular departments in Pomona - check their website). Berkeley and Pomona are 2 very different schools - one’s huge, the other is small, among many other differences. </p>
<p>Perhaps when I get into the swing of things over there I can give a better picture, but my conclusion for now is - in terms of English/Language departments - you’re not selling yourself short if you choose either Pomona or Berkeley - but you should look more at the schools as a whole.</p>
<p>Actually yes, your post did help a bit. I have already seen the thread you linked to but the point is well taken. I guess I’m just trying to analyze my choices to death; its hard not to when making a decision as important as this. I think that ultimately I will apply to Pomona, Berkeley, UCLA, and several others (maybe Occidental?) including a few safeties and make the decision once I get my acceptance/rejection letters. Of all the schools I have visited so far, Pomona is without doubt my favorite. Simply an amazing school. Congratulations on being accepted, that and the cost are two big obstacles for me.</p>
<p>Perhaps I will see you on these forums again in a few months when you have some experience with the department.</p>
<p>The English department is strong, and as a student you will benefit from very close attention from some outstanding professors (look up Infinte Jest, one of the most postmodern novels ever written. DFW teached at Pomona) if you choose to attend.</p>
<p>Yup, the dept. is strong. English depts are not always as flashy as science depts, as they can’t generally brag about their fancy gadgetry. I’m pretty sure the last technological breakthrough for English depts was the invention of the word processor. So even an excellent dept doesn’t always have as much to brag about, except in Pomona’s case it has David Foster Wallace, as mentioned above, and distinguished alumni. (But a dept with distinguished alumni doesn’t really mean much for your purposes-- the question is, what will YOU get out of the experience?)</p>
<p>The professors are great, and they have great guest speakers and an overall friendly feeling in the building.</p>
<p>Pomona’s English Department has had a number of defections. I read about it in the campus newspaper. The article said it would take years to recover.</p>