<p>I’m a Pomona grad, son is at Williams, and daughter is at Amherst, so I guess I should chip (chirp?) in.</p>
<p>Interesteddad and momrath have summarized the comparison of Williams v. Pomona very well. I’d add a couple of small points. </p>
<p>Pomona alumni probably have better connections to SoCal movie industry, while Williams is better connected to the East Coast art scene. </p>
<p>I’d consider the science departments equal, especially after factoring in opportunities to take courses at HMC and the Joint science dept of CMC/Scripps/Pitzer.</p>
<p>Taking other courses at the other Claremont colleges is a substantial advantage over Williams. All are within walking distance, a walk/bike/skateboard commute. This is easier than the Amherst/MHC/Smith/Hampshire/UMass 5 college consortium commute by bus or car (except for Amherst/UMass). Classes elsewhere broadens the course offerings and eases scheduling conflicts. </p>
<p>Sports are different. For spectators, Williams vs. Amherst is a real scene. Pomona vs Oxy is not. If you play squash you should prefer Williams; year round road cyclists and surfers should prefer Pomona. </p>
<p>Ask yourself about weather, suburban SoCal vs Berkshire village, and spectator sports.</p>