Pomona College Top Questions

There isn't a huge party scene at Pomona, and thankfully we don't have any real fraternities or sororities. Also, since we don't have great sports teams which means there isn't a huge emphasis on going to games, though joining teams is much easier. Since Pomona is part of what is referred to as the 5 Seas, which includes four other colleges, there are a lot of parties going on at other colleges if that is what interests you, but there are also a lot of places to just hangout with friends, like campus cafes, coffeehouses, and lounges. The atmosphere is generally really loose and many people, including myself, feel free to leave our doors open. Pomona also puts a lot of effort into organizing trips and events for the weekends that are cheap or free and often very fun. Trips include LA museums, comedy shows, theme parks, laser tag, and theater performances.

There are all sorts of school sponsored events, including a list of 47 (the special Pomona number) things in LA that every student is recommended to do in order to experience the area fully. A number of campus orgs plan parties and events frequently. Ski-Beach day, Death by Chocolate, Harwood Halloween, Smiley 80's are all big events that most of the school attends. There are no frats or sororities, parties are done either on a group of friends scale or on a large planned event scale. There are parties around most nights of the week if you look, but never in a disruptive manner. And partying is not the only social option around. The entire LA region is around for off-campus trips (Disneyland, Six Flags, the Beach, Chinatown, Hollywood), and people hang out on campus too.

Pomona has parties for anyone who likes to party and non-party activities both during the week and on weekends for anyone who doesn't. The presence of the other four Claremont colleges right there also opens up a huge number of party/friend/activity options all the time. There is certainly a large amount of drinking, but I can say from personal experience (I don't drink) that no one who doesn't drink will ever find themselves without friends or without something to do on a weekend.

Harwood Halloween and Smiley 80's are the biggest Pomona parties of the year. There is usually a big party going on every weekend at at least one of the schools. Harvey Mudd's Foam Party is AMAZING and you should go to it if you can. Death by Chocolate happens at the end of first semester and the school has a big ballroom and fills it with all the candy, chocolates, ice creams, eclairs, etc that you can possibly eat. Sororities don't exist at Pomona (someone donated a TON of money on the grounds that there would never be a sorority) but there is one fraternity and one coed "frorority". They're more like clubs that put on parties and stuff. But I've never felt like Pomona has suffered for it's lack of Greek life. The drug scene exists if you want it to, but it'd not loud and if you don't do drugs you can go all four years without noticing it. But Pomona drug use is generally on the level of pot and shrooms, not heroin. Drinking is WAY bigger than drugs. But you don't have to drink to feel comfortable at the parties and people really don't feel pressured to drink. But unless you are choosing it to make a statement, DO NOT CHOOSE SUBSTANCE-FREE HOUSING! Lots of halls are "low sub" so you'll still fit in and then you avoid the stigma.

People leave their doors open, and there are a sizable amount that leave them unlocked when they are not there. There are a ton of Pomona traditions- you will definitely get fountained on your birthday. Dating scene, not so great. There are a few couples but keep in mind the small school size- you get to know everyone in your social circle and hooking up with friends can be interesting. Lots of one-nighters and awkward seeing the person every day for the rest of your time at school. Fraternities/sororities exist, but that is it. There are a lot of Saturday night groups with non-drinking activities, along with sub-free housing.

I don’t participate in any school-sponsored activies really (I know, I’m horrible) so I can’t really say. However, I have some friends who do sports and extracurriculars and they really enjoy them. Parties are variable here, although I’m not much of a partier so I can’t give you the complete story. In my experience, the major parties on campus are way too hyped and not that fun. White people (who predominantly go to those “major” parties) tend to throw boring parties, while groups like the Cabrones and more “colorful” organizations tend to throw crazy ones. Yeah, I’m generalizing, but it’s a pretty assessment, haha.

Greeks are not a big thing on campus. There are like three frats/froroities (coed), but the people who are in them are in no way defined by that. Parties are mostly put on by the school, which is unusual in that they are awesome and tons of people go. Partly b/c the school serves it's own alcohol. They are really well put together. My favorite is the Halloween dance, Harwood halloween, in a parking garage. IT's crazy, almost everyone from all five colleges attends! Which brings me to another subject -- the 5-C's. There is always sooo much going on becuase there are five colleges all putting on stuff. You will never lack for something to do. Most clubs are 5-C, so you can meet a lot of people that way. I know a bunch of Pitzer people because sports teams are Pomona- Pitzer, and I am on one. One cool 5-C club is OTL, or On-The-Loose. They have website, check it out. They just lead a ton of really cool trips all around, like to lots of national parks, rock climbing, hiking, surfing, skiing, and on and on. Oh, and all for free. REsidential life: Most people live on campus all four years. South Campus is mostly underclassmen, with more traditional hallwayed dorms, north campus is upperclassmen and has more suite-style living. In the hallway dorms, doors are usually open. Oh, how could I forget! Sponsor groups! When you get in, you fill out this extensive housing questionnaire, and POmona carefully groups you with 12-20 other first-years along with two sophomore "Sponsors," and you all live together in the same hall. Sponsors have no jurisdiction over you, they are just their to be your friend and help you acclimate to college. Your sponsor group is like a ready-made group of friends because you are grouped according to compatibility. I, like most people, am still really good friends with many kids from my sponsor group. It's the best thing Pomona does for freshmen - no need to stand around in the dining hall wondering who to sit with on the first day! Also, Orientation Adventure is really fun. It's a four day trip right after you arrive on campus and move in, and you make even more friends. I went canoeing on the Colorado river. Atheltics are not USC-style - Mostly people go to games to support their friends, unless the game is versus CMS, in which case the gym (or pool, track, field) is packed and rowdy. If I were up at 2am on a Tuesday? Hmm, well that doesn't happen very often, i need sleep! But I could be: studying (meaning I had procrastinated - I almost never stay up this late studying), dancing at Table Manners (the weekly dance Tuesday nights), or most likely talking with friends. I'll always remember freshman year staying up til 3 many nights talking, freshman-style, about, for example, sex and gender inequality. Some people never drink. For them, a club called That Saturday Group puts on fun non-alcoholic activities. Other drink five night a week (there is an official event every night of the week except Sunday nights). Most poeple fall in between. Wednesday night is Pub, a fun dance party that lots of people attend. Saturdays are more wild than Fridays. As for dating, everything goes. One-night hook-ups, multi-year relationships, abstinence, whatever.

Pomona is a very social and safe campus. When I moved in as a Freshman is barely ever closed my door. I didn't even feel the need to lock in when I went out. Usually friends would just walk into my room and start playing video games when I wasn't there. The only problem this caused was that I would join in rather than start working when I returned to the room. Athletic events have varying degrees of popularity. Any games against CMS (The cross street rival) will bring a lot of people to the games. Generally, basketball, men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball are the most popular sports. However, because the school is a division 3 athletic program, interest in the games for other other sports is somewhat limited. There are no frats or sorrorities, which means that there are very few saturday nights in which people need to go to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. However, Pomona does hav a party scene. Every Saturday night there is something to do. There is always some sort of school sponsored party either at Pomona or one of the other campuses. These always serve alcohol, and have the feel of your average college party. However, there is always other stuff to do. Groups put together different events for students who don't want to drink, but still want to have fun with their friends. The best thing about Pomona is that 97{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body lives on campus all four years, and barely anyone leaves for the weekends. This residential community allows everyone to become really close.

Pomona is great with setting up opportunities to get involved with something, whether it be a club, a sport, an organization, etc. Pomona leads numerous trips throughout the year to fun and exciting places and events all around the southern california/ los angeles area, and beyond. Socially, Pomona is a very open campus and it's pretty easy to make friends right away the way things are structured. Freshman year, students are placed in "sponsor groups" which consists of the other students in the hall they are living in, and the sponsor group typically ends up being like a family. Students doors are usually open, and students are typically open and inviting. The party scene is at Pomona is decent, with a chance to go out just about every day of the week. Frat life isn't big on campus, and the few frats that do exist don't have houses or some of the other priviliges that frats on bigger campuses do. The other four colleges also allow for diversity in the party scene with Mckenna, Havey-Mudd, and Pitzer all a short walk away. In terms of frequency, a small number of students might go out four or five times a week, some once or twice, some none at all. There is no pressure in any direction and wherever you fall, there is a group of people similar to you. While many people drink, there is no pressure to and there are lots of alternatives. There is a group that puts on really fun, sober activities every saturday night and even kids that don't drink will go to the dance parties put on by the school. The alcohol policy on the campuses is pretty lax, and if your beverage is in an oblique cup, there is nothing administration or security can do to you. The school even provides kegs at some of the parties.

I met my closest friends in my sponsor group/hall freshmen year as well as from classes. When they're in their rooms, students do keep their doors open. Athletic events are not the more popular events, except when we play CMS (Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps). There are a significant amount of couples on campus, as well as the usual hook-up scene at parties. The are 3 fraternities with a very minimal presence on campus. On a Saturday night, if you're not into drinking, "That Saturday Group" always has a non-alcoholic event planned.