<p>Of the schools that accepted him, Pomona College and Tulane appear to be my son’s top two choices. At this point in his life, he does not know what he would like to ultimately focus on, although he seems more interested in the math and science-type subjects. He is also a very good musician (blues and rock guitar), and although he does not wish to pursue that avenue professionally, he is interested in playing music at some level. Like most high school students, he is also very interested in what type of social life awaits him in college. I would very much appreciate learning what people might perceive as the pros and/or cons of the two schools. Thanks!</p>
<p>Unless money is an issue, I think Pomona all the way, unless he has a special interest in New Orleans jazz.</p>
<p>No surprise to see that opinion on a Pomona board, lol. I will try and balance that out a bit, although to get a fair balance you should post this on the Tulane thread as well. I will assume money not an issue since you don’t mention it.</p>
<p>There is a world of difference between these two schools. Tulane is a research university with an associated Med School and a school of Tropical Medicine, along with other post-graduate professional programs. It has about 6,200 full time undergrads. Pomona is an LAC (albeit part of a larger consortium) of about 1,500 full time undergrads. I will point out that Tulane has a reputation that is well deserved for being very undergraduate focused. However, I won’t argue that it is as “intimate” as an LAC like Pomona. Likewise, I won’t argue that Pomona isn’t more selective. With an average SAT of about 2240, it has Tulane beat by about 200 points. Of course, there is more to school that just the classroom. New Orleans is completely unique and I don’t think I even have to comment on how great it would be for a talented musician. I was also a musician but it wasn’t my career, and I was in 3 different music groups and got to do some minor touring and play at Mardi Gras balls. There are a lot of opportunities for someone that wants to get involved with music without majoring in it. Local musicians are on staff at Tulane as well to assist in this area.</p>
<p>I think the same student could be very happy at either school, it will just be a different experience. Pomona will be more straight academics and deep philisophical discussions (no, I am not saying they don’t have fun besides academics, just that they are more geared that way), while Tulane will offer a fine education while also offering more choices outside the classroom. It is a tougher choice than just which school offers the highest level of peer students, I think. Also, I will assume your son is in the Honors Program at Tulane? That is another plus, because that will make some of his classes more like Pomona. My D’s colloquium is about 8 students, and she is a freshman.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>^^^^Well, I have nothing to do with Pomona, and I think fallenchemist’s post is very wise. If the life of the city is a big draw, there’s no contest.</p>