<p>I’m sorry I don’t know how to lift a quote on this forum. These are quoted from Nostalgic Wisdom above.</p>
<p>“Claremont McKenna has a stereotype, and Pomona does not.”</p>
<p>So not true. I won’t get into the Pomona stereotype but I’m sure if you do some reading on the college forums you will see it. Like all other stereotypes it is just that a stereotype.</p>
<p>“CMC students tend to be more pre-professional, whereas Pomona students tend to care more about learning for the sake of learning.”</p>
<p>If there is any generalization that can be made about the differences of the two schools I think this is it. Many CMC students are intellectual types. That has been a common thread that I have seen among almost all of the CMC students I have met. The difference I see is that they are generally thinking about what they will be doing down the road rather than learning for learning’s sake. And I suppose that is why every student I met at graduation had a clear direction at graduation. I found that very impressive in this tough economy.
I’ve met far fewer Pomona students but it seems that the students I have met may go to college studying what they love and searching for where their passion will take them. My guess is that there are more Pomona students taking a gap year after graduation taking on odd jobs until they decide where their next step will be. I know this isn’t true for all Pomona grads, I know many go on to wonderful things immediately after graduation. My impression is however that the emphasis is on learning for learning’s sake in the moment and there is less focus on how the information will be used down the road. However while the focus is less on econ and finance I know Pomona has many pre professional students as well especially pre med.</p>
<p>It is also true that there are students at CMC who aren’t drinkers and who aren’t athletes and these students are happy at CMC.</p>
<p>I mention this because as I stated above when I read about both schools when my S was applying I also saw Pomona as a great choice for him and yet he didn’t even apply and was drawn to CMC. </p>
<p>I don’t know many Claremont grads, so I won’t generalize about them, but I do have a pretty good feel for Pomona grads of my son’s class a few years ago, and find the above “guess” inaccurate. Pomona is heavy in stem majors, and yes, many do have medical school in their sights. But that isn’t incompatible with “learning for learning’s sake.” There were no graduates I met who were taking “odd jobs” after graduation in son’s class. Every Pomona student I was introduced to, and there were dozens, had very clear plans for the future, although some had choices among several interesting options. Top grad schools, med schools, and law schools were high on the list of graduation plans, with some students having to make hard choices such as law school at Columbia or grad school at Yale. Research, jobs in government and non-profit service were also prevalent. My own kid earned a fellowship that propelled him into state government working in on environmental programs, which is the kind of opportunity he had dreamed of when he was looking at colleges in high school. He has always been interested in public service - and also looked seriously at CMC because of that interest.</p>
<pre><code>I wouldn’t want people to have the impression that Pomona is filled with dreamy-eyed students who have little direction and just like to “learn for learning sake in the moment.” That is as false as the assumption that CMC kids care only about getting a job after college and aren’t interested interested in learning anything for the sake of broadening them as individuals.
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<p>Each school has a different vibe, yes, but it’s not accurate to characterize the students themselves as either primarily “pre-professional” or “intellectual.” Aren’t most students interested in learning things that intrigue them, and aren’t most students concerned about their prospects after undergrad? You’ll find that the Claremont schools, like LACs all over the country, have a good supply of students with both of these attitudes, which coexist in the same person, quite nicely.</p>
<p>In addition, despite the best efforts to dispel many myths about the 5C over the past years, one of the hardest elements to convey is that the the greatest attribute of the Claremont Colleges is the complementarity of the various schools that compose the consortium. Because every participant does shine in different parts, a student can benefit tremendously from the slightly different focus and specialization of the various, if he or she decides to take advantage of it.</p>
<p>Lastly, given that every 5C school has made substantial gains in selectivity of the past decade, the schools have also become more homogenous in terms of admitted and enrolled students. Next to CMC, that has now the lowest admission rate for a LAC in the country, Pitzer admission rates have plummeted. </p>
<p>All in all, the similarities clearly dwarf the differences. Even, if some are determined to cling to the greater differences of years ago, or express such sentiments in subtle and eloquent statements as Nostalgicwisdom did above.</p>
<p>If true? But, by the way, my dear friend John Wesley, should we also cling to the notion that students are one-dimensional and that are artsy folks are out of place at the most selective LACs in the nation? </p>
<p>I think that you might want to jump on that horsie and extend your circuit to the Far West for a visit to the 5Cs. It might be an eye-opener, as you will discover plenty of positives, and of course, a few negatives to replenish your quiver.</p>
<p>Moomchild, my appologies, I stand corrected. I don’t remember all my posts, I don’t post often but as I remember it I have tried to steer clear of any of the Pomona/CMC rivalries. This post caught me in the midst of drowning in paperwork and seeking an escape. I do in fact know Pomona students who have specific goals but have chosen to take a break before pursuing the next level of education. This is however a small sample of students and i expect you will find this sort of thing from a few graduates in most schools. I was really more surprised that I didn’t see this at all among the many students I met at CMC and that impressed me. Obviously I didn’t interview the whole class so there certainly may be a few of them taking a step back after graduation. I think I found myself caught up in trying to answer the question posed by the OP and also fed up with the stereotypes that often give CMC students little credit for their thoughtfulness and intelligence which seems so far off the mark from the students I have met. It was not my intention to take down Pomona. I did go a bit far in extrapolating from the information that I have. I know it is a wonderful school. I also agree that the Claremont consortium is a unique environment for educaton that is strengthened by the differences that draw different students to different schools. That isn’t to say there isn’t overlap and that there aren’t many students who would fit in well at several of the schools. The OP asks a very valid question but one that is difficult to answer and the explanation often comes across as elevating one school and putting down the other. I am not even going to take a stab at the differences again. Just know that there are amazing students at both schools. I know there are diffeences in feel and focus at both, for some students one will be right and the other wrong, for others, if they are lucky enough to have a choice it will be a difficult one.</p>