Participants will be selected by a committee of Pomona College faculty, staff and students. The selection committee will consider every part of the application and make recommendations based on academic potential. In some cases, the selection committee will request to interview an applicant. Each year the committee admits 30 participants. New applicants must be currently enrolled in 9th grade, attend high school in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County or Ventura County, and vaccinated for COVID-19.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- Reside within one of our five local counties (Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County or Ventura County)
- Be a current 9th grade student
- Be vaccinated for COVID-19 (All students, faculty, and staff of Pomona College must be vaccinated for COVID-19 (including Booster), this includes PAYS scholars as we will live on campus during the summer experience and participate in year-round activities.)
Other factors taken into consideration include:
- First-Generation College-Bound student
- Low-Income (Qualifies for Free-Reduced Lunch)
- African-American, Latinx, South-East Asian (API), Native American, and other underrepresented ethnicities/races
- Currently taking Geometry OR Integrated Math II
Selection Process
The dates for the 2023 selection process are as follows:
- Application Opens: Monday, November 7, 2022
- Application and Transcript Deadline: Monday, February 27, 2023
- Recommendation Form Deadline: Monday, March 6, 2023
- Notification of Decision: Friday, April 21, 2023
Summer Program Dates
Residential Dates: Sunday, June 25- Friday, July 21, 2023
**Academic Year Calendar will be shared upon admission.**
***In order to participate in the residential experience, admitted students must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination (including Booster).***
Cost
All aspects of PAYS programming are of NO COST to PAYS scholars. Pomona College covers all costs including housing, food, activities, and transportation to field trips. Students will only be required to bring basic school supplies, such as pencils and paper.
Application Information
A complete application will include the following materials. It is preferred that the application be completed online. However, a paper copy (found below) may be scanned and emailed, mailed in one envelope, OR faxed to (909) 607-8006.
- Online New Student Application OR Paper New Student Application [PDF]
- Two Completed Essays (500 words each):
- Prompt 1: Think about your educational experience so far; what are your thoughts about it? What would you change? Why? Is there anything you would keep the same? Why? You may choose to consider your educational experience in comparison to others in your school, your school district, and/or the country.
- Prompt 2: Discuss a situation where you have faced a significant challenge. How did this experience affect you and what did you learn from this experience?
- Transcript of current academic year
- Official copy is preferred, but not required
- May be emailed or mailed by applicant or counselor
- If emailed, include in subject line: FirstName_LastName_HighSchool_PAYSTranscipt
- Two Recommendation Forms
- One must be completed by a core subject (Math, History, English, Science) teacher
- The other can be completed by teacher, counselor, coach, community leader, etc.
- Please include recommender contact information in online application and they will receive the recommendation form via email
- If your recommender prefers a paper recommendation form, you can use the Paper Recommendation Form [PDF]
Please submit any physical documents by email, fax, OR mail, as follows:
Email: PAYS@pomona.edu
Fax: (909) 607-8006
Mail:
Draper Center for Community Partnerships
Pomona College
Attn: PAYS
735 N. Dartmouth Ave. Claremont, CA 91711
Phone: (909) 607-1810
For questions or to have a full paper application mailed to you, please contact us at (909) 607-1810 or PAYS@pomona.edu