Columbia or Pomona

debakianmj
Mon, 04 Apr 2016 15:29:59 +0000

Congratulations on your choices! I turned down Columbia several years ago for Pomona and so have a substantial number of people I know. I have never once regretted my choice- Pomona is an incredible experience. Both schools are prestigious but their environments are completely different from each other, so it is not and should not be an obvious choice. While Columbia may be more well known, Pomona is also incredibly prestigious. As the most endowed liberal arts college per capita, the most selective by acceptance rate (and more than some of the Ivies), and with a fellowship/grad school placement that places it near the top of the pack, you really won’t be losing much going to Pomona.

Of the graduating Chinese international students I know, several of them have job offers- many at really incredible places. Here are some destinations I can think of at the top of my head: Google, Blackstone, BCG, Amazon, Apple, McKinsey, Deloitte. International students have also done really well in seeking out internships at places like Facebook. Especially compared to other liberal art colleges, going to Pomona means you also get access to the 5 College Consortium in recruiting- any employer who visits does sessions for all five schools, and this gives recruiters more incentive to visit. The Claremonts are among the most targeted schools in the country for employment- Pomona is commonly seen as a target school. But there is a bit more of a west-coast emphasis here, similar to Stanford, as compared to peer institutions like Swarthmore. You can certainly go to the east-coast or internationally, but it requires more hoops.

Pomona is also in 2 school consortiums: SLAC and CIC; there is an annual program called Winter Break Recruiting which enables students to travel to Boston, NYC, or DC for job opportunities and internships. Our database for job opportunities is exhaustive- the 5C database, SLAC database, and CIC database easily add up to or succeed what you’d get at a traditional university. We have the Pomona College Internship program (PCIP) for local, during the school year internships and the Summer Experience funding program for unpaid or low paid internships across the world. The resources are definitely here and you can pave a path towards career success while at the same time enjoying a nurturing yet rigorous liberal arts college experience.

Mommyrock’s comments are especially off about Los Angeles- it is very easy to get to since there is a train running a block south of campus for work hours and a bus running 24/7 nearby (Silver Streak). PCIP provides travel funding and there are a lot of opportunities that have transportation covered by Pomona; most students don’t have a car and yet can still thrive in the LA area. NYC is fantastic, but as a destination it will always be there. Having a cozy suburb with access to the full potential of LA (which I think is more than NYC- especially for nature/wilderness) is a better setting to me, and the weather can’t be beat. I will be attending Columbia for a master’s program after college, so that’s something to keep in mind as well.

Good luck with your decision, and let me know if there is anyway I can help you.