Pomona College is offering admission today to a new generation of eager, thoughtful and reverent students. The admitted Class of 2029 is expected to be one of the most academically accomplished to date and is poised to bring their unique talents and perspectives to Pomona next fall. The Office of Admissions released decisions at 5 p.m. PDT on Friday, March 21, via a secure portal.
The 861 admitted students were selected from the largest applicant pool in the College’s history. In addition, one Downing Scholar was admitted to Pomona on a one-year program from Downing College in Cambridge.
“It is a privilege to be able to offer admission to such an exceptionally talented group of students,” says Jonathan B. Williams, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid. “Reading the applications of these remarkable students has been a true honor. We are excited to see the distinctive paths they will forge at Pomona and the lasting impact they will have on our community and beyond. We can’t wait to welcome them to the flock.”
One of the new Sagehens joining Pomona next fall is Yonten Gyatso from East Amherst, New York. Gyatso’s personality shone through his application as he shared the cultural importance of his name meaning “ocean of wisdom” in Tibetan. Gyatso plans to pursue a prehealth track and major in biology.
In addition, the College admitted 48 transfer students who selected 25 different first-choice majors. Twenty-one of the admitted transfer students are first-generation-to-college, 73% are transferring from a community college, with 54% of those admitted transferring from a community college in California. They were admitted from 11 states and one country outside the U.S. The newly admitted transfer cohort has associations with a range of community-based organizations, including the Kaplan Leadership Program and Transfer Scholars Network. Nine military veterans were admitted through the transfer process. Five of these admitted military veterans are affiliated with Service to School (S2S) and one with the Warrior Scholar Project, and the admitted veterans represent four branches of the U.S. Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.
About the Class
While responses from the applicants admitted through the regular decision round are not due back to Pomona until May 1, the outline of the Class of 2029 can already be seen through the broad, statistical profile of those offered admission.
First-generation college students—meaning neither parent has a four-year college degree—make up 27% of those admitted to the Class of 2029—a new record for Pomona College.
Class of 2029 admits identified a broad range of academic interests, with 22% indicating their first choice major in the humanities, 23% in interdisciplinary fields, 26% in the natural sciences, 23% in the social sciences and 6% undecided about their field of study. A remarkable 89% of these students, attending schools that rank their classes, are among the top 10% of their peers, demonstrating exceptional academic achievement.
Where They Come From
Students were admitted to the Class of 2029 from 711 high schools from across the U.S. and the world. Fifty-eight percent of the admitted students attend a public school. Admitted students represent 48 states (as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands). The top U.S. states where admitted students come from are California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Washington.
Continuing a trend of international growth, Pomona admitted students from 45 foreign countries. The top five countries represented by the admitted students are China, India, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. International students make up 16% of the class.
Hailing from Tokyo, Ryosuke Oki plans to pursue an interdisciplinary approach to the arts this fall by majoring in media studies and economics. By exploring the intersection of film, culture, economics and international relations, Oki aims to hone his storytelling skills and ultimately serve as an ambassador for the arts and Japanese culture. “My dream is to become a movie director in Japan,” Oki says. “Pomona is the best place for me to obtain practical skills in filmmaking while also acquiring knowledge of business and management.”
Additionally, Pomona remains committed to increasing access in the United States. As Pomona marks its 20th anniversary of partnership with QuestBridge at Pomona, the College matched 25 QuestBridge Scholars. In addition, 21 students were admitted through the Posse Foundation. Seven admitted students from Los Angeles/Inland communities were participants in the Pomona Academy for Youth Success (PAYS), an intensive, three-year college preparation program run by the College’s Draper Center for Community Partnerships. Additionally, more than 100 students admitted to Pomona reported working with a community-based organization.
“Our historic gates beckon, ‘Let only the eager, thoughtful, and reverent enter here...’ Today, we welcome a new generation of Sagehens who embody these very qualities,” says Williams. “As our gates further remind us, ‘They only are loyal to this college who departing bear their added riches in trust for mankind.’ We eagerly await your arrival to our vibrant community and look forward to seeing your contributions to our shared journey of learning and service.”
Pomona College awaits the final decisions of its admitted students, who must submit their enrollment and deposits through the secure online portals by May 1. This deadline will determine the final composition of the highly anticipated Class of 2029.