Pomona Acceptance Rate: 7%

Shortcuts to sections offered for Pomona prospective students and Pomona Acceptance Rate:

Successful Applicant Profile

• Demographics
• Majors
• SAT/ACT Scores

Entry Requirements

• Tuition
• Scholarships
• Checklist of Application Requirements
• Application Deadlines

What Should You Expect?

• Student life
• Academics offered
• Athletics offered

Located in Claremont, California, Pomona College is a private liberal arts college that was first established in 1887. Pomona was first created by a group of people who were looking to replicate the traditional culture and learning style of schools in New England such as the highly prestigious Ivy League schools.

As it turns out, Pomona has managed to maintain that spirit in more ways than one. One of the factors that are more comparable to the highly prestigious and competitive Ivy League and Ivy plus universities in the Pomona acceptance rate.

At current, the Pomona acceptance rate sits at about 7% which puts it amongst the most competitive schools in the entire world and places it is firm as the most competitive liberal arts college in the United States.

With that 7% acceptance rate, it is clear that if Pomona is your dream school, you are going to do have to make sure that you are as prepared and qualified as possible before you dive into the heavily engaging and challenging process of applying to some of the best colleges and universities in the world.

The truth is that if getting into Pomona College is your dream, it is going to be your responsibility to make sure that you take every single class during your high school years very seriously.

Remember, that the prohibitively low Pomona acceptance rate is not made up of all different kinds of students. Instead, it is made up of some of the most impressive and accomplished high school students in the world. Unless you are at the very top of your class in high school, you will likely be wasting your time even applying to Pomona.

Here at AdmissionSight, we make it our primary goal to make sure that the high school students that we work with are as prepared as possible so that they have the best chances possible to succeed in their application goals. Here, we have the knowledge, resources, and skills to help students overcome any weaknesses, and accentuate all of the strengths that exist in their application profile.

One great place for students to start when it comes to putting together a list of schools that you are interested in applying to has to do with looking at your SAT or ACT test scores and GPA and comparing them to the average scores that students who get into a specific school have earned.

When it comes to Pomona, the average GPA amongst high school students who are accepted is a weighted 4.04. This means that the vast majority – if not all – of students are enrolled in Honors courses, AP courses, or both.

When it comes to the average SAT scores that high schoolers who get into Pomona earn, the average score is 1465 out of a perfect 1600. This is considered to be highly competitive. In terms of the ACT, the average score that students who get into Pomona earn is a 34 out of the perfect 36.

As you can see, you have to be a truly special student in order to get into Pomona. Luckily, that’s exactly what you are!

If you are interested in what it takes to get into Pomona, who you will be learning alongside if you end up attending, what you’ll have to pay to attend, and much more, continue with us as we at AdmissionSight break down everything you should know about the Pomona acceptance rate.

Successful Application Profile

Over the last several years, the number of students who have applied to Pomona each year has hovered around 10,000 students. Due to that relatively small number – especially when compared to some of the biggest public schools in the country – students might worry that the student body at Pomona is rather homogenous. In fact, that could not be further from the truth.

If you are interested in attending Pomona, here are the types of students who you will be learning and living alongside!

Diversity at Pomona

As we said, you might be concerned that the low number of average yearly applicants (around 10,000 over the last five years or so) would lead to a fairly homogenous student body. That could not be further from the truth.

In fact, Pomona has earned a perfect 100 out of 100 when it comes to the diversity rating at CollegeFactual. On top of that, the highly reputable site rated Pomona as the 5th most diverse school out of a total of 2,475!

Unsurprisingly given those numbers, it ranks well above average when it comes to ethnic, gender, geographic, and overall diversity despite the Pomona acceptance rate.

When it comes to ethnic diversity, here is a deeper breakdown of the representation that exists on Pomona’s campus.

• 35.5% of students at Pomona are white
• 16.0% of students at Pomona are Hispanic/Latino
• 14.8% of students at Pomona are Asian
• 11.1% of students at Pomona are Non-Resident Alien
• 9.3% of students at Pomona are African American

As you can see, the Pomona student body is wonderfully diverse and you can rest assured that no matter what your gender identity is, you will both feel at home at Pomona and manage to meet, learn with and befriend people from all different types of wonderful cultures.

When it comes to gender diversity at Pomona, young men and women make up an identical 50% split.

Finally, when it comes to international diversity, there are many students who come from all corners of the world to live and learn on Pomona’s beautiful Californian campus. Pomona ranked as the 514th most popular school for international high schoolers in a survey that ranked a total of 1,288.

A major reason for that is because Pomona is simply a smaller school than many of the other schools listed. With that being said, just about 11 percent of the student body at Pomona are international students, meaning that they have a fairly sizable present aeon the campus.

At least 32 countries are represented on Pomona’s campus with the following countries sending large numbers of students to the school:

• China
• India
• South Korea
• United Kingdom
• Ghana
• Canada

As you can see, if you attend Pomona, you will not only have the chance to build relationships with students from other cultures, but also in other countries!

Most popular majors at Pomona

One very important thing to keep in mind when it comes to which school you are applying to is to make sure that you are focusing on schools that offer great and well-funded programs in subjects that you are interested in.

Attending college and getting a degree is not only about learning but also about making sure that you are set up well for the future and your career. With that being said, the most popular majors at Pomona include Social Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; and Physical Sciences.

What are the average SAT/ACT scores of students who are admitted to Pomona?

We have already broken down the average scores of standardized test scores and GPAs of the students who get into Pomona, but it is important to go into what those scores mean as well as better explain what scores will help students versus what scores can hurt your chances of getting in.

When it comes to the unweighted GPA of 4.07, what this essentially means is that students who are getting into Pomona are making sure to enrol in difficult courses that come with weighted GPAs of 4.5 or 5.0. Not only does acing scores such as these help your GPA, but it also goes a long way in proving to college admissions counselors that you are ready for the accelerated and challenging nature of curriculum at top colleges and universities.

You would be very wise to enrol in as many Honors and AP courses that you can if you are interested in attending a top university.

As for the SAT, the average score of 1465 already tells you how competitive the school is. To get a better idea, consider this information. The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1410, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1530.

In other words, a score of 1410 places you below average, while 1530 will move you up to above average. There’s no absolute SAT requirement at Pomona College, but they really want to see at least 1410 to have a chance considering the Pomona acceptance rate.

As for the average ACT score of 34, the 25th percentile ACT score is 32, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 35. In other words, a score of 32 places you below average, while a 35 will move you up to above average. There’s no absolute ACT requirement at Pomona College, but they really want to see at least a 32 to have a chance at being considered.

These unofficial requirements for students who want to get into Pomona are quite similar to the types of scores and grades that students need in order to get into schools such as Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and more.

Rest assured that if you get into Pomona, or any of the other schools just mentioned, you are amongst a highly elite group of students.

Entry Requirements

You do not have to know much about the college and university landscape in the United States to know that attending any of the top schools in the country is going to cost you quite a lot of money. For private schools, it is the expectation that you will be spending tens of thousands of dollars per year.

The total cost of attendance

The same can absolutely be said about Pomona, which has a total cost of attendance that is comparable to some of the most expensive schools in the United States. Take a look at the breakdown below to get a good idea of what you will be spending to attend Pomona each year.

As you can see, the primary difference is based on whether or not you are living on or off-campus. Even then, the difference is fairly negligible compared to the overall price of attendance.

For that reason, it is very important that you do your most to find out what kinds of financial aid options are available to you no matter what school you end up wanting to attend.

Financial aid at Pomona

Pomona is one of the few schools in the United States that is entirely need-blind when it comes to its admissions process. That means that it will be making decisions on who it accepts based entirely on who deserves to attend and not based on who they know has the ability to afford their high cost of attendance.

For that reason, Pomona is known to offer its students quite a lot when it comes to financial aid. Financial aid packages are comprised of grants, scholarships, and a small work stipend.

While loans are available, Pomona does not use loans to meet a student’s financial need. More than half of Pomona students receive financial aid and the average award is $52,173.

Application requirements

When it comes to what you need to send into Pomona in order to apply, here is a breakdown of what to send:

Pomona accepts the Common Application, Coalition Application, and the QuestBridge application.

• Official high school transcript
• School report and counselor recommendation
• Mid-year report
• Two letters of recommendation
• One-time non-refundable application fee of $70 or a fee waiver
• Test scores (SAT or ACT required)
• Pomona-specific essay questions

Application deadline

In order to successfully apply, you are going to have to make sure that you get your application in by the correct deadline. At Pomona, students can apply by Early Decisions I, Early Decisions II, or Regular Decision.

The table below will let you know what specific dates you have to pay attention to depending on how you plan on applying.

What Students Can Expect

One of the best ways to get a great idea of what to expect when it comes to attending any school is to see what students are saying about it. Here at AdmissionSight, we have scoured the web to find some reviews of actual students at Pomona.

Here are some of the best we found!

“As an incoming sophomore, I would say that my experience has been very positive, whether it be classes, the social atmosphere, dooming, etc.,” one wrote. “They have a lot of resources that have been super helpful during my first year, and a lot of opportunities to get involved in the community.”

“Pomona College is a great school with so many interesting people from all over the world!” another student wrote. “It’s a very diverse group of students, and because there are 4 other colleges there, we have access to a wide range of classes, locations, and experiences across the “5C’s.”

I play softball for Pomona Pitzer, and the team spirit keeps me sane, while the support from other student-athletes from football and baseball, etc. is really cool. It’s a small school, but big on ideas and things to do in and around the LA area. Claremont is a cool little village we walk to from campus and it is only a short drive to the beach or mountains.”

Academics at Pomona

Some of the most important information regarding the academics at Pomona includes class size and student-to-faculty ratio. In the case of Pomona, all are heavily favoured.

The classes that have less than 20 students make up 70 per cent of the school’s total curriculum. Classes with more than 50 students make up just 1 per cent of the classes at Pomona.

Finally, the student-to-faculty ratio is an incredibly low 8:1. That puts Pomona in the 99th percentile in terms of best student-to-faculty ratios.

Athletics at Pomona

Pomona has a fairly unique athletics program because it is joined with the athletic program at Pitzer College. There are 10 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and water polo.

Women’s sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo.

Famous Pomona Alumni

As is the case with many of the most prestigious schools in the country, Pomona has been home to some of the most famous men and women across many industries. Here are some of the most influential Pomona alumni.

• Kris Kristofferson, musician
• Richard Chamberlain, actor and singer
• Rosalind Chao, actor
• Bill Keller, journalist
• Roy O. Disner, businessman
• Twyla Tharp, director
• Karen Horn, businesswoman
• Mary Grandpré, artist

If you hope to one day see your name on that admissions list, the first step is getting into Pamona. While you may be intimidated by Pamona acceptance rate, you should feel confident knowing that AdmissionSight can help you increase your chances of acceptance. Here, we know how to help students maximize their strengths in order to help them get into the school of their dreams.