Pomona ranks #4 for National Liberal Arts Colleges according to the most recent issue of US News and World Report. Founded in 1887, Pomona hosts about 1,670 students on its 140-acre campus in Claremont, California, which is situated 35 miles east of LA. Pomona is the founding member of the Claremont Colleges, and as such, students at Pomona are free to take classes at the two graduate colleges, Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute, or any of the remaining 5C’s: Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer. Together, the Claremont Colleges are situated on 546 acres of land, and their 8,500 students enjoy 7 campuses that are all within a mile walk of each other.
At Pomona, 94 percent of students live in one of 16 residence halls all four years. 25 percent of students at Pomona compete on varsity teams alongside Pitzer varsity athletes in the NCAA Division III. The 21 varsity teams of Sagehens (students from Pomona and Pitzer) compete against Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps, but students on club teams play together with members of all the 5Cs. In addition to varsity and club teams, Pomona offers intramural sports and outings through their Outdoor Education Center. Students looking to join a small community on campus can join one of the Claremont College’s 308 clubs and organizations. Through athletics and these extra-curricular clubs, students at Pomona meet peers that hail from all over the world. The incoming Class of 2025 boasts an especially diverse class including students from all 50 states and 58 other countries. These students enjoy campus traditions together, like “fountaining,” “Nochella,”and departing on school-sponsored trips to explore the 47 must-sees in the area.
Pomona College offers 600 courses every year across 48 majors and 41 minors, but across Claremont College there are more than 2,700 courses available for students at Pomona. Students interested in pre-med, pre-law, or pre-engineering can’t pursue a specific program at Pomona, but they can take advantage of Pomona’s selected coursework, advising, and application guidance. Pre-engineering students can also take advantage of Pomona’s 3-2 plan with the California Institute of Technology and Washington University or the dual-degree program in conjunction with Dartmouth College. Students who stay on Pomona’s campus enjoy the 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 15.
Top Tier’s students had GREAT results in this year’s admissions, both early and regular. Check out our success rates!
Applying to Pomona College
Pomona offers applicants three rounds of admissions: Early Decision I (due November 1st), Early Decision II (due January 1st), and Regular Decision (due January 1st). Both Early Decision rounds are binding, meaning once admitted, applicants must withdraw all other applications. In the case of Early Decision II, applicants will hear back from Pomona around mid-February, at which point, if admitted, they must withdraw from their Regular Decision schools. The Regular round, on the other hand, is non-restrictive and non-binding, meaning students can apply to as many additional schools as they’d like. Due to accessibility concerns during the pandemic, Pomona has extended its test-optional policy for students applying for first-year and transfer admission for entry in 2022-2024. Although the SAT or ACT is no longer required, students may still choose to self-report their scores. Indeed, of the admitted students this year, over half (57 percent) submitted a standardized test score. Students can also schedule an off-campus alumni interview beginning in September until December 1st. Pomona states that they do not track “demonstrated interest” through scheduled interviews, but interviewers still submit a statement as part of a student’s application.
Pomona College Admissions Wrap Up
Pomona has not released a break-down of admissions rates for its three rounds of admissions or an overall acceptance rate, but it did announce that 745 students were accepted to the Class of 2025. As is the case at other Early Decision schools, it’s likely that applying Early Decision increases an applicant’s odds. One reason for the lower acceptance rate this year was the fact that 83 students who were admitted to Pomona in a previous year deferred their enrollment, taking up spots in the class of 2025. The admitted students this year are incredibly diverse: 54.8 percent domestic students of color, 17.2 percent Latina/o, 16 percent Asian American, 11.8 percent Black, 8.9 percent multiracial, and 0.9 percent Native American. In addition, 18.5 percent of admitted students are first-generation college students. Pomona also admitted 23 transfer students this year, 15 of whom are transferring from a community college, and 13 of whom are first-generation students. Of the students admitted this year, 91 percent are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.
Top Tier Admissions Can Help You Get Into Pomona College:
“I am excited to inform you that I will be attending Northeastern University this fall! I am hoping that they fully reopen the campus as they plan to. Until then, I’m greatly anticipating being a Husky. I could not have done it with you and your team. Thank you very much for helping me with my application. I greatly appreciate it.”–C.K., Application Boot Camp student, Northeastern
"Thank you so much for all your time and work with N over these last few months. N found his experience at Boot Camp to be incredibly helpful and he very much enjoyed meeting you and working with all the Top Tier counselors as well as the other students. The process was educational for N in so many ways- thank you, thank you, thank you!" –M.T., Application Boot Camp parent
"I want to thank you, again, for a fantastic Top Tier Boot Camp experience. As a second time Top Tier family, we drank your Kool Aid fully and completely, and it paid off! You know your stuff; you manage to thread the needle with a mix of tough love and compassion (for both the students and their parents - no small feat) and you run a super-efficient 4-day program." –R.R., Application Boot Camp parent
"I got my acceptance letter over the weekend from Middlebury!! I’m officially a Panther!!! 🙂 Thank you for all of your help; I could not have made it through 1st quarter without ABC!!!" -S.F., Application Boot Camp student
"Dear Michele, I just wanted to let you know that I just got accepted into Dartmouth for ED! I’m overjoyed and incredibly excited to continue my academic journey in New Hampshire. Thank you so much! You were always there to answer so many of my questions and were incredibly supportive of me; I couldn’t have done it without you and the Top Tier team!" –B.S., Application Boot Camp student
"Thank you! He could not have done it without you." –P.W., Application Boot Camp parent
"Thank you so much!! He couldn’t have done it without your amazing team!" –H.O., Application Boot Camp parent
"We just got the news! Northwestern Class of 2024! She’s over the moon. This would not have happened without the advice and guidance along the way from all of the folks at Top Tier Admissions! From the advice on how to structure her supplemental info, including how to position her interests and activities relative to her major, the advice to take a college course this summer, and the amazing work that was done during Boot Camp, Top Tier is the absolute best and I know we have you to thank for her acceptance!!! Happy Holidays and thank you from the bottom of my heart!" –P.S., Application Boot Camp parent
"Michele and team - Just wanted to pass along the great news that J got admitted today to Pitzer, her first choice ED school. Thanks for all the amazing support you've provided H and J over the past few years. They both learned a lot from the process and, of course, benefited greatly. We now get to celebrate the holidays with a sigh of relief!" –V.J., Application Boot Camp parent
"J is so thrilled about attending Middlebury College next fall (and we are thrilled for her) and we appreciate all your assistance. It was so exciting for her to get the official acceptance last week. She loved her time at ABC and still keeps in touch with the group of friends she made. Boot Camp was tough, but she thoroughly loved it. She’s a grinder so the intensity and complete immersion didn’t bother her at all. She loved working with all of you and cherishes having another little group of friends that she bonded with in Boston. Don’t fire your caterer - she’s a big fan of the food at Boot Camp." –W.R., Application Boot Camp parent
"B, you helped me with my application during Boot Camp this past summer and I wanted to let you know that I committed to UPenn last night! Thank you so much for helping to transform my supplements into something readable. Boot Camp DEFINITELY helped me get in and made the process a lot less stressful. Thank you so much for all of your help!" –B.A., Application Boot Camp student
"We wanted to thank you for your guidance, counsel and support through T’s application process. Your advice has been instrumental to his success and, more importantly, you gave him the confidence boost he needed to apply early at Princeton. We will continue to recommend Top Tier services to our friends and will always be grateful for what you did. We hope we can stay in touch and wish you a wonderful holiday season." –K.L.T., Application Boot Camp parent
"We are excited to report that B was accepted ED to Duke University and has committed to attend next fall. We’ll forward a picture once our first Duke swag order arrives. Duke was her clear first choice and we are all very happy! We are also very pleased with the assistance we received from all of you at Top Tier and are confident that the guidance we received over the last seventeen months helped B wind up with this great outcome. So, thank you!" –E.R., Application Boot Camp parent
"I am ecstatic to report that I got into my ED school: University of Chicago! Thank you so much for all your help and willingness to work through draft after draft until I got it right." –W.D., Application Boot Camp student
"I am happy to report that we found out this evening that L has been accepted to Boston College! We are SO excited! And for your records, he was also accepted at Villanova and invited to the honors program. Thank you all so much for your help and support! We would have been lost without you!" –M.J., Application Boot Camp student
"I wanted to extend my personal thanks for all your help with my son's application process and essays. Your Bootcamp proved to be well worth the investment and per your advice I stayed away from the temptation of even reading my son's essays until he was accepted. The bottom line is that he was accepted into his top choice of UChicago and in his acceptance letter his essay was specifically mentioned. Furthermore, this was a reach school for him which made the acceptance even more sweet. Your methods and advice were instrumental in his success and I cannot thank you enough for making my son's aspirations real!!" –L.T., Application Boot Camp parent
"I'm not sure if my daughter told you yet, but she was accepted ED to Dartmouth in December. So, two for two with the W sisters-- thanks Top Tier Admissions!" –G.W., Application Boot Camp parent x2
"I wanted to let you know that I got into my first choice, Boston College, early decision. I'm so excited. Thank you all so much for everything, I'm so grateful!" –L.K., Application Boot Camp student
"Thank you to Mimi who wrote my personalized report back in junior year, to the entire team, and definitely to E! My quick acceptance into Cornell owes much to your insights and guidance. Although I have been accepted to Cornell, the process with Top Tier has made me want to stay competitive in college — whether for internships, or for graduate schools later in life. I thank you for that!" –P.O., Application Boot Camp student
"WE MADE IT!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!" –L.J., Application Boot Camp student
“Once again, I am so impressed with your program. I am amazed at the sheer amount B. accomplished in four days! Equally as important, she feels really great about her essays. She loved working with each of you as well as A. (a great pairing for her!). I know how hard each of you worked this week; I hope you get to enjoy some well-deserved R&R!” –N.G., Application Boot Camp parent
"G is excited to go to her first choice, the University of Miami! She continues to say that Application Boot Camp was the best investment we ever made for her education." –R.J., Application Boot Camp parent
"I liked the process of having multiple people read my essays before finalizing a draft. This made me confident that my essays were clear and concise while also captivating to a diverse audience. Everyone was also patient and encouraging. Boot Camp took away so much stress coming into Senior Fall, allowing me to focus on my academics and earning my highest term average ever." –S.A., Application Boot Camp student
"I know first hand how you run your business. Off the charts ethical! We look forward to continuing our relationship with Top Tier's Application Boot Camp."
"Thank you so much for your help and guidance. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you and the Top Tier Admissions Team! I'm still in between UPenn and Georgetown, but I will make sure to visit both." –S.I., Application Boot Camp student
"Clearly, Application Bootcamp and Top Tier took a lot of anxiety out of the whole situation. Our children know a number of kids who did not get into their top choice ED school, only to be devastated and stressed as they are without a plan for ED II and regular decision and have not worked on a range of essays for other schools. So while F & J’s EA-only strategy is not for everyone but made sense for them since they did not have a clear lead school when they were applying, being prepared made all the difference. The help Bootcamp provided in honing their voice and words into essays that reflect their intent was fantastic. In the end, it is all about having choices they are happy with, and I am happy to say they both have those now!" –F.A., parent of Application Boot Camp students
"E., I just wanted to let you know that I got into Barnard Early Decision! Thank you for everything you have done!!! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you did for me! Thank You!!" - H.L., Personal Boot Camp student
Barnard, Class of 2023
"I wanted to say thank you again for all your help! I got into UPenn, Cornell, Barnard, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Tufts, University of Michigan, and Wake Forest, and am waiting to hear from Georgetown; I think I'm leaning towards UPenn. Thank you so much for all your guidance; I don't think I could have done it without your help!" --I.R., Application Boot Camp student
"We are thrilled! Duke is absolutely fantastic and is the exact right fit for K. Application Boot Camp definitely helped her get into Duke during their most selective year in history, a year in which they turned away well over 2,000 Valedictorians. Thank you!" -Y.R., parent of ABC student accepted to 9 top-tier colleges
Y.R.
"Boot Camp was the most incredible experience. It made me push myself into thinking about my future and prepared me to send in all my applications. I am so thankful that I got the help I needed at Boot Camp because it made my application process effortless once I had completed my essays. I think that the colleges were able to clearly see my goals and ambitions through the writing of my essays. I believe this helped me have a very successful application process." –P.K., Application Boot Camp student
