Advice for Admitted Students – Page 2

How I Made My College Decision Without Visiting Pomona

Posted on April 8, 2021April 7, 2021 by Chris Meng

illustration of Cecil the Sagehen with a Pomona parachute

By Chris Meng ’23 Getting a phone call telling me that I was admitted off the Pomona waitlist was incredibly exciting. The downside: I had just one week to make my decision, and I would not have the opportunity to visit campus in that week. Let me lay out my rough recollection of my actions that fateful week in mid-May in hopes that they will be helpful to you. Celebrat...

Admit Advice

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Oluyemisi Bolonduro

dark photo of students with POM 47 in green

By Oluyemisi Bolonduro ’23 Salutations! This is a follow up to my blog Application Advice. I’m going to assume that you’re reading this as a Pomona admit (if I’m wrong you can cackle at your screen and enjoy the rest of your day with a smile). Continuing with this assumed audience, I offer congratulations on your acceptance! If you don’t know, we Sagehens have a huge thin...

Mentorship at Pomona

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Nelia Perry

By Nelia Perry '24 Transitioning to college, navigating college, and transitioning out of college can be stressful, overwhelming, and confusing to manage. But you do not have to face these stages alone at Pomona! Whenever people talk about layers, they use an onion as a metaphor, so I guess I will do the same here: Pomona mentorship is like an onion; it has many layers. Thes...

Braving Office Hours

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Nelia Perry

small white dog in costume with sign encouraging voting

By Nelia Perry ‘24 So, you’ve decided to attend a small college––meaning you must be interested in close student-to-faculty relationships. But, if you’re anything like me, you’re wondering how to actually create a close relationship with a professor. First of all, let me say not all of the work is on your part. AND, the work that is on you, isn’t actually all that muc...

I’m a Tom Boy

Posted on February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 by Bryce Kelly

Bryce holding a bunch of college brochures

By Bryce Kelly ‘23 My mother kept staring at me, trying to judge my feelings. We were driving away from an admitted student’s day at a university I’ll call Hardstone College, and I was refusing to share even an ounce of emotion about it. Not because I had none, but because I knew that if I showed eagerness or disapproval, so would my parents, which would only loop back to me...

It’s the Culture for Me

Posted on February 15, 2021February 8, 2021 by Sonam Rikha

By Sonam Rikha ’24 Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of going to Los Angeles and walking down Hollywood Boulevard. When, as a high school senior, I stepped out of the LAX airport, I was greeted by California palm trees and the L.A. heat. Even though Pomona is in Claremont, 35 miles from the glamorized city of Los Angeles, the laid back and sunny environment in Claremo...

4+7 Things I Realized About Pomona as a Sophomore

Posted on February 9, 2021February 8, 2021 by Chris Meng

By Chris Meng ’23 It’s hard to believe that I am starting my second semester of my sophomore year. At the end of May, I will be halfway done with college, and I will have somehow reached the age of 21. Over my nearly two-month winter break, I spent a lot of time with family and friends (mostly virtually), having conversations with them and myself that gave me a chance to ref...

First-Year Course Registration, Or The Subtle Art of Not Knowing What You Are Doing

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Nelia Perry

By Nelia Perry ‘24 About a week before fall registration, I decided to make a table outlining all of the classes I intended to take for the next four years. That’s eight semesters, four classes each, for a total of 32 classes. At first, that seems like a lot. It’s plenty of room to explore different subjects and take classes outside of your major. But, in the process of plan...

Car-Less in Claremont

Posted on January 3, 2021December 21, 2020 by Chloe Mandel

By Chloe Mandel ’23 In my suburban Connecticut hometown, I fully depended on the use of a car to get around. Since the day I got my license in my junior year of high school, I’ve embraced the opportunity to drive my parents’ slightly worn-out Chevy Equinox everywhere I’ve needed to go. Granted, my daily drives to school were often full of frustration as I waited in a long li...

Unpacking the Princess Packs

Posted on December 24, 2020June 15, 2021 by Oluyemisi Bolonduro

By Oluyemisi Bolonduro ‘23 My freshman year of high school, there were a few upperclassmen that had themed backpacks. A few had turtle shells; the rest had princess backpacks. I thought it was a fun idea and resolved to do the same by my senior year. The Princess Pack: 1st Edition was the backpack I used my senior year of high school. It had Mulan, Jasmine, Belle, Ariel, ...