Transfer students often face the complexities of adjusting to different academic structures, navigating unfamiliar social networks and finding their place in a new community. Pomona College helps these nontraditional students navigate these complexities and pursue their academic and career goals.
“Transfer students are a vital part of the Pomona College community, bringing diverse experiences and perspectives that enrich campus life,” says Assistant Dean of Students Francine Bonneville, who works with transfer students and serves as the junior class dean.
Academic exploration is what drew William Huh ’26 to Pomona. After leaving high school early due to illness, Huh earned his GED and associate’s degree at Santa Monica Community College. He had planned on transferring to a business school, but a few philosophy and politics classes at his community college changed his mind. He chose Pomona for the Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) major and plans to attend law school after graduating.
Huh says Bonneville, the cohort of transfer students, and student organizations such as the Asian American Mentor Program have helped him find community and overcome challenges.
“When you’re coming in as a transfer, you’re going to have less time than most of the student body here, but Pomona does a good job of giving transfers a shared experience,” says Huh.
“Despite the challenges of adapting to a new environment, transfer students consistently demonstrate exceptional resilience, motivation and engagement,” says Bonneville. “Their readiness to immerse themselves and find their place within Pomona’s vibrant community is a testament to their determination and impact.”
Pomona College provides support to help transfer students get the most out of their academic and social experience on campus. Transfer students participate in a weeklong orientation with workshops tailored to their needs, and throughout the year, they receive ongoing outreach and opportunities to build community, including events such as “Coffee and Donuts with the Dean” and National Transfer Week celebrations.
“As the junior class dean, my goal is to ensure transfer students feel supported, connected and equipped to thrive at Pomona College,” says Bonneville.
Keli Fisher ’26, a transfer from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, is taking full advantage of the opportunities Pomona offers. Fisher is an anthropology major with minors in psychological science and French. Currently studying abroad in France, Fisher previously participated in the college exchange program at Middlebury College as well as the summer faculty-led study away program in Belgium and Morocco.
She says she enjoys the breadth of academic experiences available to her, especially those that take her beyond the classroom walls.
“Pomona has been so incredibly supportive, including the wide range of classes that are available and the amazing professors and relationships that have come with that,” Fisher says. “You learn throughout the semesters in traditional classrooms, studying theory and history, and then you can go abroad and be in the field and experience how these things work.”
Huh also appreciates the residential aspect of Pomona, noting how different it is from a commuter campus. “The thing I enjoy the most at Pomona is getting to talk with people in class, walk back to the dorm and get lunch, and go to a club together,” he says. He says his residence hall, Smiley Hall, is close to everything, and he especially likes that it’s next door to the campus gym.
“I really like Pomona because I don’t think there was any other school out there where I would have been able to acclimate so well, being a nontraditional student and having gaps in my education,” says Huh. “There are so many resources here that it’s been an easy transition.”