Any thoughts?
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Great academic schools. No real differences there.
Weather is a huge difference. Let me say again -- weather is a huge difference.
Weather is a huge difference. Let me say again -- weather is a huge difference.
I don't want to offend anyone but I'm sure you"ll hear this from many posters. Amherst is one of the finest undergraduate institutions in the country. Tradionally, a higher % of Amherst grads who allly to Harvard Law are accecpted then Harvard undergrads. Admission to Amherst is ultraselectve and can be a little quirky from year to year. While amherst is small, it is part of the hugh college community in the area. If your son could get into Amherst he'd be off to a great start; the retaintion rate is upwars of 96% last tie I looked and more then 90+% graduate in 5 years or less.
Having just gone through the search with my daughter for a Liberal Arts College (LAC), I don't think there is a lot to worry about with either school from an academic perspective.
Pomona is one of the best LACs in the country - very highly regarded out here on the west coast. Actually it is well regarded nationally as well, ranked 6th in the country by US News. Pomona is part of the Claremont college consortium, 5 colleges that are physically colocated, sharing a common library and with open cross enrollment. This gives it the feel of a mid sized college while still having many of the qualities of the smaller school as well.
My daughter seriously considered Pomona and it was most impressive when we visited it. She ended up at another Claremont college but I think Pomona would have been her second choice.
This is not to put down Amherst. Amherst is also one of the best, ranked 2nd by US News - slightly higher than Pomona. My daughter just wanted a school on the west coast, closer to home.
The challenge with both of these schools is getting in. Extremely competitive, as difficult as an Ivy in many ways. No one, no matter how good their stats, can count on admission in my opinion. They are both what I think of as roll the dice schools - the kind of place where they have far more qualified candidates than openings and selecting the admittees must be very difficult.
From a baseball point of view, I don't know the Amherst program but the Pomona Pitzer program is one that is on the rise. Pomona joins with Pitzer, another Claremont school with their sports programs (the other three Claremont schools form another team). They did very well last year, making the D3 playoffs and being one winaway from making it to the D3 World Series.
Pomona is one of the best LACs in the country - very highly regarded out here on the west coast. Actually it is well regarded nationally as well, ranked 6th in the country by US News. Pomona is part of the Claremont college consortium, 5 colleges that are physically colocated, sharing a common library and with open cross enrollment. This gives it the feel of a mid sized college while still having many of the qualities of the smaller school as well.
My daughter seriously considered Pomona and it was most impressive when we visited it. She ended up at another Claremont college but I think Pomona would have been her second choice.
This is not to put down Amherst. Amherst is also one of the best, ranked 2nd by US News - slightly higher than Pomona. My daughter just wanted a school on the west coast, closer to home.
The challenge with both of these schools is getting in. Extremely competitive, as difficult as an Ivy in many ways. No one, no matter how good their stats, can count on admission in my opinion. They are both what I think of as roll the dice schools - the kind of place where they have far more qualified candidates than openings and selecting the admittees must be very difficult.
From a baseball point of view, I don't know the Amherst program but the Pomona Pitzer program is one that is on the rise. Pomona joins with Pitzer, another Claremont school with their sports programs (the other three Claremont schools form another team). They did very well last year, making the D3 playoffs and being one winaway from making it to the D3 World Series.
Decisions, decisions.
Mentioning the obvious...
Pamona is Los Angeles, with all the good and bad implied (with that).
Its a long, long way out to Amherst.
That doesn't matter to some, but others need urban access.
On a personal level, HaverSon kept Amherst on his list till the very end.
Later, he played in Belgium with a Lord Jeff pitcher who was twice named NESCAC Pitcher of the Year, absolutely loved Amherst and raved about the alumni connections.
Mentioning the obvious...
Pamona is Los Angeles, with all the good and bad implied (with that).
Its a long, long way out to Amherst.
That doesn't matter to some, but others need urban access.
On a personal level, HaverSon kept Amherst on his list till the very end.
Later, he played in Belgium with a Lord Jeff pitcher who was twice named NESCAC Pitcher of the Year, absolutely loved Amherst and raved about the alumni connections.
I have no basis for comparison. I know that my son, who will be a Junior at Amherst, has found every aspect of the school, (Academic, athletic, social)to be even better than he had imagined. The NESCAC is a tough, excitingly competitive league. The families of the players have become just like my friends who I met when my son played baseball earlier. The coach at Amherst is in his second year as head coach(he was an assistant for 4 years). He and his staff are young, smart, energetic and have the respect of the players.
A neighbor who is not an athlete attends Pomona. He loves it. I think East Coast/West Coast is an extremely significant factor to consider.
A neighbor who is not an athlete attends Pomona. He loves it. I think East Coast/West Coast is an extremely significant factor to consider.
Pomona College is not located anywhere close to LA,unless you consider approx. 45 miles close.(It is in LA County only)
Pomona College is beautiful and located in the quaint town of Claremont,Ca. It is considered a college friendly and upscale town.PS-The coaches are great.Pitzer has team on the rise,just like they said and Claremont Mckenna,we know the coach,great guy.
Pomona College is beautiful and located in the quaint town of Claremont,Ca. It is considered a college friendly and upscale town.PS-The coaches are great.Pitzer has team on the rise,just like they said and Claremont Mckenna,we know the coach,great guy.
With many friends making one-way (daily) commutes of 45+ miles across the LA metro area, I see Pamona as L.A.
Baseball-wise:
Pamona is 30 mins to Dodger Stadium. (on the weekend anyway.)
Amherst, on the other hand, is 2+ hours away from Fenway.
Baseball-wise:
Pamona is 30 mins to Dodger Stadium. (on the weekend anyway.)
Amherst, on the other hand, is 2+ hours away from Fenway.
Having lived 18 years in LA I would encourage a quick look into the air quality in Pomona. The East San Gabriel Valley gets hot, real hot. Hot and smoggy did not bother me but people with respiratory problems face their own issues.
cgc3 this is in the summer, baseball season the weather is perfect there. Winters are spectacular particularly for someone from the Midwest or East.
Since my daughter is going to go to school at another one of the Claremont schools, I checked into the air issue very carefully. During the school year, other than during a fire, there have been exactly two "bad air" days in the last 10 years according to the SMOG records in the area.
Meanwhile, in January and February, the weather is in the 60s and the grass is green...
Meanwhile, in January and February, the weather is in the 60s and the grass is green...
to the op, my son went to Pomona and played for Pomona-Pitzer. He was also recruited by Amherst and a number of other LAC, ivy's etc.
Academically Amherst, Williams, Pomona, Haverford, and several others are pretty much equals, all typically top 5 ranked academic schools, certainly top 10 and very much on a par with Stanford or any of the Ivies.
Pomona is a very short drive from downtown LA and the town of Claremont is lovely but very small. Students usually escape to LA or Pasadena but there are lots of activities on Campus.
As you may know the Claremont schools consist of 5 colleges that share resources so you can limit yourself to your one school or take part in the resources of all 5 to a major extent. each school itself ranges from about 900 (pitzer) to 1500 Pomona.
YOu've got great Los Angeles weather, great education. Amherst certainly the equal academically, my son just didn't want to deal with east coast weather.
Level of baseball in SoCal is great and even for D-3 always scouts at the game.
I will admit though, I was not personally a fan of the Pomona coach - send me a PM and i'll fill you in. Also, when my son was there, other than the head coach, they essentially had no staff, I think that has seen a change in the last couple years. Facilities are very nice at Pomona, espeically for a D-3
Only spoke briefly with Amherst coach, he's kind of an institution there as I recall. Haverford coach was a great guy as well as the coach at Tufts.
Williams is another similar school to consider as well as Wesleyan, Haverford, Swarthmore, Johns Hopkins, Tufts. Can't go wrong at any of 'em I would think.
Bottomline between Pomona and Amherst is, as someone pointed out above east coast vs. west and all that goes with that.
Academically Amherst, Williams, Pomona, Haverford, and several others are pretty much equals, all typically top 5 ranked academic schools, certainly top 10 and very much on a par with Stanford or any of the Ivies.
Pomona is a very short drive from downtown LA and the town of Claremont is lovely but very small. Students usually escape to LA or Pasadena but there are lots of activities on Campus.
As you may know the Claremont schools consist of 5 colleges that share resources so you can limit yourself to your one school or take part in the resources of all 5 to a major extent. each school itself ranges from about 900 (pitzer) to 1500 Pomona.
YOu've got great Los Angeles weather, great education. Amherst certainly the equal academically, my son just didn't want to deal with east coast weather.
Level of baseball in SoCal is great and even for D-3 always scouts at the game.
I will admit though, I was not personally a fan of the Pomona coach - send me a PM and i'll fill you in. Also, when my son was there, other than the head coach, they essentially had no staff, I think that has seen a change in the last couple years. Facilities are very nice at Pomona, espeically for a D-3
Only spoke briefly with Amherst coach, he's kind of an institution there as I recall. Haverford coach was a great guy as well as the coach at Tufts.
Williams is another similar school to consider as well as Wesleyan, Haverford, Swarthmore, Johns Hopkins, Tufts. Can't go wrong at any of 'em I would think.
Bottomline between Pomona and Amherst is, as someone pointed out above east coast vs. west and all that goes with that.
HeyBatter,
You have a PM.
PD
You have a PM.
PD
pitcher dad- just sent you back a PM. Sorry took so long, been out of town.
HeyBatter,
You have another PM.
c3p
You have another PM.
c3p
Hi,
Heybatter you have another PM..Please response.
Brian
Heybatter you have another PM..Please response.
Brian
fyi, i've responded to the various PM's i was sent. sorry, haven't been on the site in a little while.
Thank you HeyBatter, much appreciated
Pitcher son just got back from an official visit to Pomona last weekend and absolutely loved the place. He stayed with a freshman catcher, got a lot of great perspective on the program from watching scrimmage and talking with Coach Pericolosi and some of the players. Got to visit all 5 colleges, see the surrounding Claremont community. Great experience.
HeyBatter, thanks again for your input. Truly appreciated.
HeyBatter, thanks again for your input. Truly appreciated.
Could someone send me whatever heybatter sent them? I sent him a PM but I don't think he has been on in awhile. Any help would be appreciated.
