<p>Everything I read about Pomona students seems so positive. And I know that people brag about things you can do without money. </p>
<p>My question is - if you are “obviously” on the low-income side of things (e.g., can’t afford to go on trips or even to go out for dinner except occasionally, can’t afford to go home on breaks like Spring break & Thanksgiving; wear clothes from places like Target, etc.), would there be people who look down on you? </p>
<p>I realize that you can’t speak for everyone, but I would like reassurance that most of these nice kids wouldn’t even really notice those things.</p>
<p>It doesn’t realy become a factor, the school provides so much for everyone that how much each person can provide for themselves becomes sort of irrelevant. If you feel like eating out but don’t want to spend money, if you let the dining hall know at lunch, they will supply you with charcoals, burgers, hotdogs, and all sorts of stuff to throw your own barbecue. Someone mentioned in another thread that nearly everything is free, which not only is great, but it makes everyone more inclined to go out and do things as there are generally no costs associated. As for trips, these can be done through OTL, for free, with the exception of trips that include a hotel (Mammoth Reading Days) which are heavily subsidized. </p>
<p>Long story short, the extent of your personal disposable income is rarely a factor in making decisions as to what to do on campus, and you will certainly NOT be looked down upon regardless of where you fall on the spectrum.</p>
<p>Having had 2 children in private schools I can verify that. Dress at Pomona is casual, anything goes as long as you have comfortable flip flops you are fine. Most students work 1 or more work study jobs. Students at Pomona in general are friendly, accepting and unassuming. The trips are very low cost, if you want to put together a trip through the Outdoor club they provide food, gas money , tents and food. My D’s school charged outrageous prices for similar trips. The ski beach day is somehing like $40 (correct me if I’m off) but includes skiing, transportation and a beach barbeque. There are free study snacks many evenings. Some have described the college as a favorite summer camp with a lot of work. If I was living my college days over I would go to Pomona (if I could get in, that is!)</p>
<p>I’d be reluctant to say that MOST students work 1 or more work study jobs, but I do think that disparities in socioeconomic status are a lot less obvious at pomona than at some of the other schools i was looking at (vanderbilt, brown, etc.). One example off the top of my head is that in the Pomona parking lot there aren’t that many exceedingly luxurious/crazy-expensive cars, and in general I don’t think people are that flashy with their money (even w/ what people wear it’s usually hard to tell since MOST (although obv. not all) ppl are relatively low maintenance appearance-wise). I definitely wouldn’t say that class issues don’t come up, but I guess from personal experience it seems like they arise mainly bc of discussions on power dynamics, etc. and not bc students on the “low-income side of things” have trouble w/ being looked down upon or can’t afford to do things with their friends. Pomona can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. With your meal plan “flex dollars” you can eat at the sagehen cafe, so it’s like going to a restaurant (but it’s already paid for), and if you do a good job of networking then you can save SO much money on textbooks. There are actually more people than you would think who are on campus during thanksgiving break, and the dining halls are open during most of that time - you can also eat thanksgiving dinner w/ a prof (which I did last semester). Spring break isn’t as great - the dining halls are closed and last year it seemed like nobody was there, but there’s OA and stuff like that (you can also stock up on food from the dining halls to reduce your expenses). First semester of my freshmen year I barely spent money on anything except bare necessities like toiletries, etc. and I was fine - sure, I knew other people had more money, but it just wasn’t a big deal.</p>
<p>D ('09) has yet to come home for Thanksgiving or spring break because (1) it’s not economical (especially with winter break just three weeks later and spring break occurring just a few weeks after Family Weekend), (2) transit time cuts down on free time, (3) there are lots of fun things to do with friends, and (4) the weather in SoCal is so much better! :)</p>
<p>One great “equalizer” at Pomona is the weather. No one needs expensive winter clothing, boots, coats, etc. Flip flops, t-shirts and a few pairs of pants/shorts are about all that’s needed along with a fleece jacket for cool evenings. California students in general are pretty casual. Also, a decent proportion of Pomona students are on financial aid, but I can attest that you could never guess which ones by looking at their apparel.
The meal plan is very adequate, and even the kids who can afford it rarely eat out, if my son is to be believed. The food is good and convenient, and the meal card is good at all 5 college dining halls, as well as some on-campus cafes.<br>
My son does come home on holidays, but then we live in the LA area, so it’s not an expense. We only see him on holidays, however. Even though we’re only an hour+ away, he shows no interest in coming home at other times. He’s having far too much fun.</p>
<p>Thanks to each of you who posted. It confirms what I had already suspected, but it’s always good to hear from people who know.</p>
<p>We won’t know if son is accepted for another month or so, but this will give him additional input for his decisions, if he gets accepted. We’re crossing fingers, of course.</p>
<p>I think the atmosphere at Pomona is extremely casual. My D graduated in 2002 and as I remember, she and a few friends actually wore PJs to class !! Anyone still doing that?</p>
<p>OMG, I would so love to go to Pomona! It’s my absolute top choice and everything I hear about it just makes me love the school even more. I know this is random and out of context but I just had to say it out. Sorry, and good luck to all of you.</p>
<p>I don’t think money is a problem at all. I am not a “well-off” student at all, and I never feel looked down on for my Target swim suit or eating in the dining hall everyday. I rarely spend money at Pomona because everything is free and there’s so much to do on campus. The activities that do cost money are relatively inexpensive, especially when you’re not spending money on going off-campus all the time, eating out, etc.</p>