Pomona College, USA

This top-ranked exclusively undergrad institution is highly regarded for its rigorous four-year liberal arts programme  SUMMIYA YASMEEN

Sited on a 140-acre campus in Claremont, 52 km from Los Angeles, Pomona College (estb. 1887) is routinely ranked among America’s top private liberal arts colleges. This exclusively undergrad institution is ranked #1 by Forbes in its America’s Top Colleges 2015 rankings while US News and World Report ranks it among the country’s Top 5 liberal arts colleges (2015). Highly regarded for its rigorous four-year liberal arts programme, Pomona offers 47 majors and 37 minors in the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences to 1,650 students mentored by 182 faculty. The college’s teacher-student ratio is an enviable 1:8.

The distinguishing feature of Pomona’s fancied liberal arts degree is its Breadth of Study Requirements programme which obliges every student to sign up for one course in six areas — creative expression (two courses); social institutions and human behaviour; history, values, ethics and cultural studies; physical and biological sciences; and mathematical reasoning. Moreover, it’s mandatory for all first-year students to enroll in the Critical Inquiry programme, choosing from a list of 25-30 study programmes requiring rigorous interdisciplinary reading, writing and discussion.

Although a small liberal arts college and founding member of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five colleges and two graduate schools sited in the eponymous town, Pomona offers its students the shared resources of the consortium. Located within one square mile, the seven college campuses which are only a few minutes’ walk from each other, host an aggregate 7,000 students. The colleges share seven dining halls and the largest liberal arts library collection in the US. Pomona students also have the option to supplement the college’s curriculum by signing up for courses at any of The Claremont Colleges. The over 2,000 courses on offer include intercollegiate majors, 100 math classes and a wide range of languages learning options.

Claremont. A collegiate town sited 52 km east of downtown Los Angeles near the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Claremont is a tree-lined residential community of 35,000. This compact yet vibrant town is often referred to as ‘The town of trees and Ph Ds’ because of its thick greenery and residents with doctoral degrees.

Los Angeles is an hour’s drive away and also accessible via the local commuter train or ZipCar. Moreover, within 50 miles of the campus is the best Southern California has to offer — from academic and cultural centres, to the desert, mountains and beaches.

Claremont enjoys sunny and warm weather year round, with rainfall restricted to the cooler winter months. Average temperatures in summer range from 23º-33ºC and from 6º-12ºC in winter.

Campus facilities. Pomona’s picturesque campus houses over 63 buildings including contemporary classrooms, laboratories, 16 halls of residence and three dining halls. Campus landmarks include the Millikan Laboratory and Andrew Science Hall, Studio Art Hall, the Aramont Foundation Shared Tech Lab, a state-of-the-art music studio, an 85-acre biological field station, and an astronomy observatory.

The Claremont Colleges’ sports facilities are extensive. They include the Lilliore Green Rains Center for Sport and Recreation which houses two gymnasiums, four racquetball/handball and two squash courts and weight-training facility; Haldeman Aquatics Center featuring an Olympic-size pool; football, baseball, soccer and softball fields; two separate tennis facilities (10-court Pauley Tennis Complex and the four-court Rogers Tennis Facility); 400-meter all-weather Strehle Track; a synthetic turf field; four additional fields for soccer, lacrosse, frisbee and field hockey.

Given that Pomona is a member of The Claremont Colleges, most social activities revolve around the five colleges, or ‘5-Cs’. The five colleges share dining halls, library (the Honnold-Mudd Library houses almost two million volumes), and other facilities throughout the contiguous campuses. Moreover, there are over 227 student clubs on campus.

Admission.The eligibility requirements for admission into Pomona’s four-year undergraduate study programmes are successful completion of Plus Two, English language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS scores) and SAT Reasoning Test or ACT scores. In addition, the admissions department “looks for evidence of investment and involvement in a community or passion; a love for learning; an openness to new ideas and rejection of easy answers; an appreciation for a collaborative learning environment; personal character; risk-taking and adventurousness; creativity and innovation and appreciation for the visual and performing arts”.

The completed Common Application form (www.commonapp.org) which includes a Pomona-specific essay should be submitted together with an application fee of $70; secondary school report; official high school transcripts; and two teacher recommendations before January 1 for entry into term beginning September. Pomona follows a “needs-aware” admissions policy with the college meeting “the full need of admitted international students”.

For further information, contact Office of Admissions, Sumner Hall, 333 N. College Way, Claremont, CA 91711. Ph: +1 909-621-8134; Fax: +1 909-621-8952; e-mail: admissions@pomona.edu; website: www.pomona.edu.

Accommodation. Over 98 percent of Pomona students live on campus. The college’s 16 halls of residence offer rooms in a number of configurations — singles, doubles, and suite-style. First-year students are clustered into small groups with two sophomore mentors. All residence halls are smoke-free zones and offer shared kitchens and laundry facilities. Three dining halls offer a variety of meal plans.

Degree programmes. Pomona offers a four-year liberal arts undergrad degree to students in the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and interdisciplinary fields. (see box)