<p>^^D1 attends Y, so she sees both sides. Just too bad some prefrosh are so enamored that they make remarks out of ignorance.</p>
<p>It sounds like based on which college is in the mix the reactions seem to be different. Someone considering Stanford or Harvard got a more sympathy of the choice reaction vs someone considering Chicago or Pomona.</p>
<p>Definitely a value system based on HYPS or bust.</p>
<p>It does not surprise me that a group of pre-frosh students, likely brought up on the east coast, never heard of Pomona. I think to say they are so enamored of Y that they make remarks out of ignorance is a bit harsh. Pomona really only has a national reputation extending to the east coast among grad school deans, CC regulars, and maybe well informed guidance counselors. If entomom’s daughter is deciding between Y and Pomona then I assume that name recognition is not as high a priority for her and that is just fine since those in the know understand that Pomona is an outstanding LAC. Nevertheless, she should not be taking offense that other bright college bound kids never heard of Pomona and wonder why she would consider a school they never even heard about.</p>
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<p>I totally agree. I have lived in CA most of my life, and have only known two people who attended Pomona: my MIL, who transferred out for a better social life at a bigger CA U, and a boy from our local h.s. Neither I nor any of my kids has felt any attraction to a tiny college in east L.A. with D III sports. Obviously, not everyone feels the way we do, but if you were to tell us that you were deciding between Yale and Pomona, we would have the same reaction as those Yale students.</p>
<p>I’m in the Midwest and interviewed an exceptional Questbridge applicant. By far he was the most exciting applicant I saw this year – he withdrew his Yale app when Pomona accepted him early. In my conversation w/my Yale regional rep, we both felt Yale lost out on a great candidate. I’m happy for Pomona, however. THey must be doing something very very right.</p>
<p>So after Visitas…</p>
<p>I’m conflicted again. In retrospect, I feel like I was more comfortable at Yale and that a lot of my fellow prospies at Harvard were not so great, but I also think that maybe I was just luckier at Yale (in terms of hosts/other people I encountered, dorms) than I was at Harvard. And I feel like some of my complaints about Yale arent very legitimate (regarding the residential colleges).</p>
<p>Also, quick question for you guys, do any of you know if it’s as competitive to write for the Yale Daily News as it is to write for the Crimson?</p>
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<p>Maybe, but that’s a big conclusion to draw from one anecdote. Maybe that kid has airplane phobia or something. </p>
<p>etomom said her D was turned off from Yale by the fact that some prefrosh had never heard of Pomona College. I would bet money that most Californians have never heard of Pomona College. I would also bet money that if her D attended a prefrosh at USC or UCLA, which are only a few miles from Pomona, she’d still hear criticism over her indecision with Pomona. Pomona College is an excellent school, but it is not particularly popular.</p>
<p>Basajaun:</p>
<p>I had a HYP triple admit last year go to admitted student days at all three schools leaning towards H or P and then matriculating to Y after the visits. Wouldn’t it just be easier to have been randomly given only one good choice? Go with your gut feeling since all the schools are great academically.</p>
<p>It is not too difficult to write for the Yale Daily News but it was not an organization I was in and it may be more competitive to snag leadership roles.</p>
<p>basajaun,</p>
<p>my cousin was in the same position 2 years ago (or pretty much the same position) – he’d gotten into HYPS, and was leaning toward harvard over the others. he even went to visit harvard in mid-april before visitas, figuring he could just settle things right then. he didn’t love it then, but figured it was just the students he met and the classes he happened to go to. he felt sure that visitas would be better. he went to bulldog days, and thought the other students were excited to be there but not stressed and that the classes seemed engaged. still, he figured visitas would be good and he’d end up at harvard. visitas was flat. he said it started when – during sign in – the admissions office was handing out “Parent Of 2013 Harvard Student” t-shirts to parents. he said he hadn’t seen that at any other school, and made him wonder about whether harvard was counting on parents to do the pushing for harvard. anyway, the other students just didn’t seem enthused, and many said they were there “because it was harvard.” he’s at yale and really loves it. </p>
<p>he works on the YDN and – as i remember – said it’s really popular, and of course leadership positions are competitive. but he likes the whole thing. </p>
<p>of course, this is anecdotal, but you’re not alone at all. i just visited princeton for admitted students weekend. and spent time talking with a guy who chose princeton over harvard. and at yale and princeton i’ve met lots of current students who chose it over harvard or over each other. of course, there are harvard students who choose harvard over yale, stanford or princeton. there’s no single right answer for everyone.</p>
<p>good luck on your decision.</p>
<p>^^Regarding the parental pressure component of kids decisions I wonder if there’s a lot of that for Harvard. I just returned from BDD’s and went to quite a few of the parent events. I noticed that there were definitely parents there who were trying their best to look as if they were giving both schools a chance, but really wanted their child to go to Harvard. The body language of some of them (this is anecdotal too, I’m going to say I noticed this in about 5-7 sets of parents I came into contact with) was really interesting, crossed arms, hanging in the back of the groups, asking questions with a negative assumption that the Yale guide needed to redirect, etc. They seemed to sport more dour expressions the more positive and welcoming the hosts became, as if they really were fighting the possibility that Yale might be a good fit for their child. Of course I am interpreting a lot from body language and some casual conversations and I can’t account for cultural differences either, but I did think it was interesting. Hopefully most of those kids will be allowed to pick the school that feels right for them :)</p>
<p>“I can’t account for cultural differences either”</p>
<p>Yalemom15 - Were they Asian parents with cross admits to Harvard…</p>
<p>I actually encountered the same thing, it seemed like most of the parents of cross-admits wanted their children to like Harvard more. Which I don’t understand.</p>
<p>^This phenomenon may explain in part Yale’s reputation as having the “happier” student body: In the end, there may be more students who decide on Harvard based on their parents’ preference, not their own. Parental expectation can be a tough yoke to bear.</p>
<p>I would just like to add that I am from California and have never heard of Pomona College.</p>
<p>@ texaspg, yes, several of the parents I described were of Asian and also East Indian descent.</p>
<p>To wjb’s point, I think that’s true not just of Yale but of Princeton and Stanford, too. Lots of students choose Harvard because it’s HARVARD!, even if their parents aren’t pressuring them. They think everyone says it’s the best, so if they get in that’s where they have to go or else they won’t get full credit for being great, or might be accused of running from a fight, or whatever. Cross-admits who choose one of the other schools always make their choice based on liking specific things about that school more than the other options. Of course, some people choose Harvard on the same basis – it’s certainly possible to like Harvard best without getting wrapped up in the Harvard mystique. But Harvard has the most people who are trying to prove something to someone else – the world, their parents – by going there. And some percentage of those people ultimately resent the choice they have made.</p>
<p>Kind of sounds like my family next year (I am hoping for it!)</p>
<p>“…that’s where they have to go or else they won’t get full credit for being great…”</p>
<p>I love that quote! I think getting full credit for being great should be reason #49 on the top 50 reasons to choose a school.</p>
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<p>Beat me to it, yalemom. That is spot on, JHS. And in the case of parents, if their kid doesn’t go there, they (the parents) won’t get full credit for being great, either.</p>
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<p>If you read what I said, it was not the fact that they’d never heard of Pomona, of course I recognize that it doesn’t have the name recognition of Y, but rather that they then jumped to the conclusion that it was ridiculous to consider any school that they’d never heard of over Y.</p>