International Student Guide

“The opportunity to study under professors at the forefront of their respective fields was a real attraction,and after a visit to the beautiful, sunnycampus, during which I met many of the friendly and intelligent peoplewho work and study there, it was easy to confirm that Pomona was the place for me.

Rachel Kelani DavidsonVancouver, Canada

“While the combination of stellar academics, small faculty-to-studentratio, friendly student body, and agreat weather all played a role in mydecision, knowing that I was not justanother ‘number’ on campus was the deciding factor.”

Zuzana VuovaMost, Czech Republic

“When I was applying to colleges, my parents looked at the cost—it wasway out of range. Pomona was able to meet 100 percent of the cost of attendance.”

Robert Kipkemoi Langat ’16Waldai, Kenya

FPO

“I think people are

much more open-minded

here. They just express

whatever they think,

whatever opinions they

have. It’s really good to

be able to communicate

freely like that.”

Yiting Ji ’15Nanjing, China

“The community of international students at Pomona is open, welcoming, helpful and fun. The International Student Mentor Program and the international student events have given me astrong sense of belonging.”

Phillip SchmückerUlm, Germany

"After four years at Pomona, I havecome to realize that there is nothingthat can give an international studenta better experience of Americanhigher education than a liberal artscollege. Pomona provided the resources and support I needed to transition to life in the U.S.”

Mingyan “Ophelia” MaShanghai, China

“The support the College has provided has been immense and nurturing. The inclusiveness ofPomona College is what truly makesme grateful for my experience, as I haven't felt excluded in an environment completely differentfrom my natural one."

Sachit TanejaNew Delhi, India

POMONACOLLEGE

QUICK FACTSHISTORY & LOCATION» Founded in 1887 as a coeduca-

tional, comprehensive, under-graduate college of the liberalarts and sciences.

» Located in Claremont, California;56 km east of downtown Los Angeles.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROFILE» Minimum TOEFL: 100» Minimum IELTS: 7» IB Testing: Our most competitive

applicants typically earn a scoreof 40+ on the IB, including anybonus points.

» Class of 2017 (domestic and international students):SAT Critical Reading Score

Median: 740SAT Math Score Median: 740SAT Writing Score Median: 750ACT Composite Score Median: 33

VISA STUDENTS AT THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES» Claremont Graduate Univ. . . 362» Claremont McKenna College 199 » Harvey Mudd College . . . . . . . 92 » Keck Graduate Institute . . . . . 45» Pitzer College . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 » Pomona College . . . . . . . . . . 123» Scripps College . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 » Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945

CALENDAR» Semester system. The first se-

mester begins in early Septem-ber, ends late December; secondsemester begins in mid-Januaryand ends in mid-May. The Col-lege has no summer session.

FACULTY» 190 full time faculty members;

188 holding PhDs or the highestdegrees in their fields.

» Student-faculty ratio: 8 to 1» Faculty advisors of freshmen and

sophomores take on 10 to 15 stu-dents, a small number that en-sures individual attention.

CURRICULUM» The College offers no special

speaking, reading or writingcourses for those whose first lan-guage is not English. Therefore,all candidates for admission mustbe fluent in English and be aca-demically prepared for a chal-lenging college program.

» Focusing in a major encouragesdepth of study. Students choosemajors from a list of 47.

» Senior capstone exercises usuallyinclude a seminar and a thesis orother senior project.

MAJORS & MINORS» Arts & Humanities

ArtArt HistoryChineseClassicsDanceEnglish

FrenchGerman StudiesJapaneseLate Antique and Medieval

Studies *MusicPhilosophyReligious StudiesRomance Literatures *RussianSpanish

» Natural SciencesBiologyChemistryComputer ScienceGeologyMathematicsMolecular Biology *Neuroscience *Physics and AstronomyPre-Engineering **Psychology

» Social SciencesAnthropologyEconomicsHistoryInternational Relations *Linguistics and Cognitive SciencePoliticsSociology

» InterdisciplinaryAfricana Studies American Studies *Asian American StudiesAsian StudiesChicano/a-Latino/a StudiesEnvironmental AnalysisGender & Women's StudiesLatin American Studies *Media StudiesMiddle Eastern StudiesPhilosophy, Politics and

Economics *Public Policy Analysis *Russian and Eastern European

Studies *Science, Technology and Society

* No minor offered.** Combined plans in Engineering are

offered in partnerships with theCalifornia Institute of Technology,Washington University in St. Louis,and Dartmouth College.

POSTGRADUATE STUDY» Ninety percent of Pomona stu-

dents graduate after four years.Approximately 85 percent of allgraduates go on to graduate orprofessional schools within 10years of graduation.

SPECIAL FEATURES» Pomona College is the founding

member of The Claremont Col-leges, a unique arrangement inAmerican higher education. Fiveundergraduate colleges and twograduate universities are locatedon adjacent campuses and theycooperate to greatly broaden therange of opportunities availableto students. The other membersof The Claremont Colleges areClaremont McKenna, HarveyMudd, Pitzer, and Scripps Col-leges, the Keck Graduate Insti-tute and Claremont GraduateUniversity.

» Cross-enrollment within TheClaremont Colleges provides

opportunities for curricular en-richment and participation in theClaremont collegiate community.

» In collaboration with the 5Cs,Pomona offers classes in 12 for-eign languages. Pomona’s Olden-borg Center for ModernLanguages and International Re-lations is divided into six sepa-rate language sections: Chinese,French, German, Japanese, Russ-ian and Spanish.

APPLICATION DEADLINES» November 1: Early Decision 1

Application Deadline (Interna-tional students requesting finan-cial aid may not apply for EarlyDecision.)

» January 1: Early Decision 2 Appli-cation Deadline (Internationalstudents requesting financial aidmay not apply for Early Decision.)

» January 1: Regular DecisionFreshman Application Deadline

» February 1: Financial Aid Applica-tion Deadline (Students who donot submit all financial aid mate-rials by this deadline may be inel-igible to receive aid.)

» March 1: Transfer ApplicationDeadline (Financial aid is notavailable to transfer candidateswho are not U.S. citizens or per-manent residents.)

TUITION & FEESCOST OF ATTENDANCE(2014–2015)» Tuition: $45,500 (USD)» Room & Board: $14,700 (USD)» Fees: $332 (USD)» Total: $60,532 (USD)

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AID» U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent

residents (“green card” status)are eligible for federal assistanceand should file the Free Applica-tion for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA) and the Profile Registra-tion Form with the College Schol-arship Service (CSS).

» Pomona offers financial aid to ap-proximately half of the admittedinternational students each year.Any admitted student with ademonstrated need will be of-fered a financial aid package thatmeets 100 percent of that needand is based on tuition, fees,room, board and incidental ex-penses. Pomona does not pro-vide for travel expenses to orfrom the U.S. Internationaltransfer students are ineligiblefor any form of financial aid.

» Foreign citizens requesting finan-cial assistance must submit theCSS Profile or the InternationalStudent Financial Aid Application(ISFAA), the Certification of Fi-

nances, and documentation of re-ported income and assets forconsideration. For more informa-tion, please refer to:http://pomona.edu/administra-tion/financial-aid/application-process/international-aid.aspx.

» Pomona provides no financial as-sistance in the form of athletic ormerit scholarships. Students mayseek employment on campusduring the school year as well asin the summer, if eligible.

» International students who in-tend to apply for aid must do sobefore February 1. Financial aid isnot available to international stu-dents who apply Early Decision.

GETTING TO CAMPUS» Pomona College is easily accessi-

ble by car, plane or rail. Four air-ports service the greater LosAngeles area, including Los An-geles International (LAX), On-tario International (ONT), JohnWayne-Santa Ana International(SNA), and Bob Hope-Burbank(BUR). The closest airport is On-tario. A cab ride to Claremontfrom Ontario takes 15 minutesand costs around $30.

» Those arriving from outside theU.S. may find LAX the most eco-nomical option. From LAX, youmay take a commuter flight toOntario, rent a car, take a shuttle,or take the train to Claremont.

» Students can take the Metrolink-train from LAX to Claremont bytaking the LAX FlyAway bus toUnion Station in downtown LosAngeles. The San BernardinoMetrolink line will take you fromUnion Station to Claremont.

CONTACT» Please let us know if we can

provide more information, answer questions, or help youplan a campus visit.Office of AdmissionsSumner Hall333 N. College WayClaremont, CA 91711Phone: 909-621-8134Fax: 909-621-8952E-mail: [email protected]: www.pomona.edu

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY» Pomona College complies with

all applicable state and federalcivil rights laws prohibiting dis-crimination in education and theworkplace. This policy of nondis-crimination covers admission, ac-cess and service in PomonaCollege programs and activities,as well as hiring, promotion,compensation, benefits and allother terms and conditions ofemployment at Pomona College.

For informationabout visiting or any otheraspect of the admissionsprocess, visit us online at

www.pomona.edu.

UNDERGRADUATERANKINGSForbes» #2 America’s Top Colleges

U.S. News & World Report» Top 5 National Liberal Arts College » #5 Best Value for National Liberal

Arts Colleges» #2 Highest 4-Year Graduation Rate

Princeton Review» #5 "Top 10 Best Value Private

Colleges for 2013"» #14 Best College Dorms» #10 Happiest Students

0609

2014

2000

SAMPLING OF RECENT INTERNSHIPSCOMPLETED BY POMONAINTERNATIONAL STUDENTS» Alaris Consulting, Shanghai, China

» AXA Financial Services, Irvine, CA

» Aspen Institute, Prague, Czech Republic

» BabyCare, Inc., Beijing, China

» Park Pride, Atlanta, GA

» NERA Economic Consulting, New York, NY

» Barclays Capital, Hong Kong

» Samuda and Johnson Attorneys at Law, Kingston, Jamaica

» International Institute of Finance, Washington, D.C.

» PwC Advisory, Ghana

» Neighborhood Legal Services, Pacoima, CA

» Economic Transformations Group, New York, NY

» Skyview Capital, Los Angeles, CA

» Samumed LLC, San Diego, CA

SAMPLING OF RECENT GRADUATE SCHOOL ACCEPTANCES BY POMONAINTERNATIONAL STUDENTS» Harvard University Graduate School of Education, MEd,

International Education Policy Program

» Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced Interna-tional Studies, MA, International Relations

» California Institute of Technology, PHD

» University of Cambridge, Theoretical and Applied Linguis-tics, MPhil

» Tufts Graduate School

2014–15

ENGAGED STUDENTSPomona College is for adventurous,creative-minded students with thedrive to explore and pursue their academic passions. Offering 47 majorsand 37 minors, a stellar faculty, smallclasses and unmatched resources supporting student success, Pomona is widely regarded as one of theworld’s leading liberal arts and sci-ences institutions. Students studyingat Pomona receive an excellent educa-tion in the natural and physical sciences, social sciences, humanities and fine arts in an academic and residential environment rich in resources, intellectual collaboration, andthe passionate pursuit of individual interests.

The College enrolls approximately 1,560 students (with roughly 100studying abroad each semester) and has a student-faculty ratio of 8 to 1. The average class size of 15 offers students the opportunity to become fullparticipants in the learning process. High value is placed on the interactionbetween teacher and student, with most classes taught as seminars. Bychallenging one another and their professors, Pomona students developskills in analytical and critical thinking.

Pomona is also a member of the Claremont Consortium, a unique col-lection of five undergraduate and two graduate institutions located sided-by-side and affording the wide choice of facilities, events and opportunitiescommon to larger universities.

All Pomona students areundergraduates. No graduate-level programs are offered,and the College does not en-roll students who have al-ready completed a bachelor’sdegree or the equivalent.

fl TO KECK GRADUATE INSTITUTE

STELLARFACULTYSince Pomona is an entirely undergraduate institution, there are no graduate students competing for faculty attention. Even in yourfirst year some of your classes may be taughtby some of our most senior professors. Many of the College’s most distinguished facultyteach first-year seminars, and senior sciencefaculty often teach introductory lab sessions.

You’ll not only learn from extraordinary professors. You’ll get to know them well.With a student-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 andabout 85 percent of faculty living within fivemiles of campus, face time isn’t limited toclassroom and office hours. You’ll find profes-sors and students in every discipline workingclosely in research, as well as interacting in arange of casual settings—over lunch, on theplaying field, as participants in a musical en-semble, or just strolling across campus on abeautiful California day.

SUPERBRESOURCESOur students enjoy both the advantages of asmall school, where professors teach everyclass, and the opportunities and resources ofa larger university setting of more than 7,000students. When you add the resources of theClaremont Colleges (the 7Cs) to everythingPomona already offers, all told you get moreclasses to choose from (2,200), more stu-dents to bounce ideas off of (7,000), moreclubs to join (227 and counting)—and moredining halls to eat in (7).

Benefits of being in Southern Californiaare harder to quantify. Where else can yougarden on a college campus in January with ageology and environmental analysis profes-sor; stargaze with three astronomy profes-sors on a field trip in Anza Borrego desert;and create an app for a hackathon that repre-sentatives from Microsoft, Intuit, 10Gen,Amazon, Yelp and Google will judge on-site?

TRUE LIBERAL ARTSA true liberal arts education is the most effective way to prepare yourselfto thrive in a changing world. With intimate classes, a strong curriculumand deep resources, Pomona is especially well suited to provide studentsboth the breadth of study that builds intellectual resilience and the depthof study needed for advancement in a specific field.

No specific course in the Pomona curriculum is prescribed for gradua-tion. Designed to encourage exploration while providing great freedom ofchoice, Pomona’s Breadth of Study Requirements include one course ineach of five areas—Creative Expression; Social Institutions and Human Behavior; History, Values, Ethics and Cultural Studies; Physical and Biological Sciences; and Mathematical Reasoning.

Central to this rich and empowering intellectual experience is tradingideas with other exceptional students in an environment that encouragescollegiality, not competition. And with 90% of all classes with fewer than30 students, it is virtually impossible to get lost in the classroom.

RESEARCHThe Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) enables students inpractically every discipline to conduct extended, focused research in close cooperation with a Pomona faculty mentor. A large number of students carry out research on campus and a significant number participate in projects in vari-ous locales such as Oregon, Maine, Colorado, Illinois and international sites such as Botswana, Ghana, Russia, Tanzania, Egypt, Pakistan, France and theCook Islands.

THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES

SUNNY CALIFORNIAWith an average of 282 sunny days each year, Clare-mont is an ideal environment for enjoying outdooractivities year-round. Summers are generally hotand dry, while winter is mild, with occasional rain.

Average High (C) Average Low (C)DEC.–FEB. 20 6MARCH–MAY 24 10JUNE–AUG. 31 16SEPT.–NOV. 27 12

AN INTERNATIONALCOMMUNITYPomona is a globally oriented college, with international experiences woventhroughout student life, curriculum andfaculty scholarship.

As a recognized leader in internationaleducation among U.S. undergraduate institutions, Pomona seeks to deepen theinternational experience of students inpreparation for leadership in an intercon-nected world. The Oldenborg Center forModern Languages and International Rela-tions provides a hub for international life for the Pomona community. Native speakers of Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian andSpanish live in each of the six language sections as advisors to help organize activities and events for the students who live there. The Oldenborg Language Lunch Program invites students, faculty, and staffat all levels of fluency to converse informally in 35 languages. Oldenborgalso sponsors a wide variety of international and intercultural activitiesincluding a guest speaker series and international film screenings.

Pomona offers international students a supportive environment in a community aware of many cultures and political systems around theworld. International students at Pomona have the support of the Interna-tional Place (I-Place) of The Claremont Colleges, which serves as a socialand cultural center to more than 900 international students throughoutthe consortium. In addition to hosting regular lunches and other culturalevents, I-Place organizes a special, week-long orientation that helps international students prepare for and adapt to their new surroundingsbefore they begin academic and social life at Pomona.

JAPAN5

TAIWAN1

HONG KONG

NEPAL1

VIETNAM1

SINGAPORE4

MALAYSIA1

INDIA14

ISRAEL1

PAKISTAN3ETHIOPIA

2

KENYA2

KOREA21

CHINA53

TURKMENISTAN1

RUSSIA1

CANADA7

TANZANIA1

ZIMBABWE3

GHANA4

SUDAN4

BRAZIL1

JAMAICA2

COSTA RICA1

COLOMBIA2

MEXICO1

THE BAHAMAS1

UNITEDKINGDOM

4

AUSTRIA2

FRANCE3

GERMANY2

ROMANIA1

TURKEY4UKRAINE

1

BULGARIA2

MONTENEGRO

3

1 SERBIA1

GREECE1

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF POMONA INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

SAMPLING OF SURP PROJECTS BY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS» Theatre: Reviving Ghanaian Theatre: Theatre in Ghana - Development,

Methods and Resources (Emelia Asiedu '11 – Accra, Ghana)

» Latin American Studies: A study of the Sino-Chilean trade: Its implications forChina-Chile Relations and the United States (Ge Zhang ‘13 – Shanghai, China)

» Molecular Biology: Synthetic Phenolic Compound Bha Causes a Significant Increase of Single-Strand Breaks in S. Cerevisiae (Christian Gallardo '10 –Buenos Aires, Argentina)

» History: A Study of the Environmental History of the Lakshadweep Islands in the Indian Ocean (Madhav Mehta '12 – New Delhi, India)

» Economics: A Comparison of RMEcoB with Other Major Currencies in ForexMarket (Shiwei Zhang ’14 – Jinan, China)

» Chemistry: Calculating and Extrapolating the Average Walklength of RandomMolecular Diffusion Across Quasicrystals (Ian Chua '12 - Singapore)